Scam Targets: What's Age Got to Do with It?
By: Sid Kirchheimer Source: Date Posted:
People over age 60 make up only one-eighth of the
When it comes to why older Americans actually fall for scams, the received wisdom often cites age-induced memory loss, the supposedly more “trusting” nature of seniors, or the loneliness factor. All of these are appetizing traits for hungry wolves in sheep’s clothing, but what medical research reveals is this: The aging process causes changes in both mind and mindset that increase vulnerability to some scams while boosting resistance to others. People over 65 represent the fastest-growing segment of computer users, for example, yet they are least likely to fall for “faceless” Internet scams.
Gray matters. “There’s great variability in individuals,” says psychologist Larry Jacoby of
Studies by Dr. Jacoby and others indicate that when people 65 and older are given misleading cues—and especially when those clues are repeated—they are more likely than others to remember falsehoods as truth. “It comes down to recollection and familiarity,” Dr. Jacoby explains. “Whereas young adults are better at recalling information they have already been given, age-related declines in frontal-lobe function (which controls recollection) mean that older people rely more heavily on familiarity.”
In other words, the aging brain is more likely to remember false statements as true if they sound familiar or are repeated often. The aging brain is also less likely to recall what was originally said.
This could explain why seniors are more vulnerable to home-repair scams, as well as to other scams in which the victims overpay for services or are repeatedly charged for the same service. “A workman may quote you one price to get the work,” notes Dr. Jacoby, “but right before handing you the bill he may cite a higher price or say you forgot to pay him. When you can rely on recollection, you are more likely to remember the original, lower price—or that he was already paid. When you have to rely on familiarity, however, what likely comes to mind is that later misinformation.”
Your defense: Get everything in writing—estimates, receipts, background checks, your handwritten notes. Keep this documentation handy to backstop your recollection of it later on.
Another brain change could explain why seniors get duped in telemarketing and door-to-door scams: “Older adults tend to process information in a systemic way. They get the ‘big picture’ and move on,” says Stacey Wood, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist at
Your defense: Be aware that late afternoons and evenings are prime crime times for scammers. Mornings are the best time to review paperwork and other detailed information.
Words' worth. Then there’s the popular notion that older people get scammed more often because they are somehow more trusting. Yet studies have found that people 62 and older are more adept at detecting lies than those aged 18 to 35.
“Seniors are no more trusting than anyone else,” says Dr. Wood. “But they tend to be more patriotic and more religious, and that translates to increased vulnerability to charity and other scams that play on these emotions.”
This faith in God and country, says William Arnold, a scam researcher and
Your defense: The Postal Service cannot vouchsafe the contents of any envelope. Chances are you’re not a winner—yet sweepstakes scams bilk the elderly of some $40 billion a year.
Older Americans are less likely than their younger counterparts to detect the signs of a scam ahead. In tests, seniors react just as strongly to positive images and actions, but younger people are “more reactive” to negative situations. “Seniors may not be as attentive to negative cues as younger people are,” says Dr. Wood. “But that may be because older adults tend to have a more positive outlook.”
From "Scam-Proof Your Life:
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