ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – There's always so much to look forward to for the holiday season. But in the midst of all that cheer and fun, experts warn that scammers, especially those targeting older adults, will be on the rise. Monday, Lifespan of Greater Rochester teamed up with congressman Joe Morelle to warn folks about the rise of these scams, and other malicious attacks directed towards older adults during the holidays. West Herr collects thousands of turkeys for Thanksgiving donations The Federal Trade Commission said that nationwide, older adults lose an estimated $3 billion annually to scams, with an uptick around the holidays of things like fake charities, fraudulent online deals and Medicare-related phishing. "Overall, 80% of all scams are perpetrated against older adults at 65 or older, they are targeting people like all of us here today," said Ann Marie Cook, the president and CEO of Lifespan. "Those donation requests from charities, and you want to help people, but be careful and make sure it's the right charity that you know of." Morelle also spoke about a couple of steps you can take to protect yourself from scams, like creating a safe word with family and cross-referencing phone numbers with official websites. He added to remember that no government agency will ever call you to ask about your personal information.