You're never too old, or too young, to be the victim of a scam. That was the message given to almost three dozen Tamaqua area residents who attended a "Scam Jam" at the Tamaqua Salvation Army on Wednesday.

The message was timely as May has been designated as "Older Adult Abuse Prevention Month," with fraud designated as second only to physical abuse as the most prevalent forms of elder abuse. Statistics show that one out of every five citizens over the age of 65 has been victimized by some type of financial scam.That's disheartening to the coordinator of the event, Jennifer Drake, an account executive with Independent Living Services. Drake told the crowd the "Scam Jam" program was created in 2015 with the focus of helping seniors preserve the money they've saved over the years, as well as providing the knowledge needed to sharpen their skills to avoid investment and financial fraud."We work to help seniors stay in their homes and see, firsthand, the devastation caused by these scams. Schuylkill County District Attorney Christine Holman pledged the help of her office and we were able to gather some really great partners to present these types of seminars. This is our fifth in Schuylkill County, enabling us to reach more than 400 residents. Our speakers use local, specific examples of how these scams are being committed, really bringing the subject home in a way that resonates."The partners also include: Janene Holter of the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General; Doug Hassenbein of the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities; Anthony Wolchasky of Pennsylvania AARP; Chief Schuylkill County Detective Dolly Malec; and Major Sharon Whispell and Dina Depos of the Tamaqua Salvation Army.Drake, Holman and Malec also serve on the board of directors of Schuylkill Elder Abuse Prevention Alliance, which is where the concept of the "Scam Jam" came to life.Additional events are being planned for the fall.