WAKE FOREST, N.C. (WNCN) — Seniors in Wake Forest spent Tuesday learning lessons on how to avoid becoming a scammer’s next victim.

They attended the “Senior Scam Jam” workshop at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre to learn how scammers are targeting them. Wake Forest detective Logan Williams spoke with seniors about one of the biggest scams right now. It’s called the grandparent scam, where thieves claim a loved one is in trouble.

“They’re saying like ‘hey, I’m in jail or hey, this person’s in trouble, they need you immediately to send thousands of dollars and that preys on the fears of the grandparent so they think ‘Hey, I want to help my grandchild’,” Williams aid.

Williams tells CBS 17 that elder and caregiver fraud is also on the rise where someone they trust is defrauding them of their money.

Nadine McHatton fell victim to a scam a few years ago and lost $900.  She attended Tuesday’s workshop as another way to make sure she’ll never be a victim again.

“The more we know about the situation, the better prepared we’ll be to answer correctly,” McHatton said.

You can report scams to the Federal Trade Commission by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP or clicking here.