@chrystaltree wrote:
@DoneTryin wrote:
@chrystaltree wrote:
The elderly people I know aren't that clueless and unsophisticaed. They know IRS never calls anyone, ditto for SSA and banks.
@chrystaltree
It's wonderful that all of your elderly acquaintances are so mentally alert & capable of handling such scams. Unfortunately, there are many other people, not all necessarily elderly, who, for any number of reasons, are easily intimidated by such calls. Or perhaps illnesses affect their ability to think logically. My late dad suffered from brain tumors & while he was able to be home alone for a few hours at a time, he would sometimes agree to purchase items when phone solicitors called (this was back in the early 80s). My mom was then surprised when things came in the mail & she had to return them & try to get refunded.
Then it sounds like if someone told your dad that the IRS doesn't call people; he wouldn't have been able to comprehend that. Maybe it's just me, I don't assume that the whole wide world becomes dumb with age....
I didn't see that anyone said people become dumb with age, but anyone who has experienced life with the elderly should know a few things.
First, many people as they age know they are vulnerable. Simply their physical state can make them targets. Many don't keep up with the technology or all the 'new fangled' things, and are easily confused and intimidated by it. They come from a generation that had trust in and respect for authority, and did what they were told to do by people in authority. They are overwhelmed by the constant and rapid change in everything. Processes and procedures for much of what they did all their lives, have changed (often beyond their understanding) in recent years.
Of course they knew there were 'bad guys' but not as many, with the means to reach right into their homes, the way they do now.
I received one of those calls just yesterday. It was almost comical, the computer sounding voice telling me "I'd be arrested by the local cops" (yes, they used the word cop, like that is a phrase the IRS is going to use).
But I'll be honest. My heart skipped a beat, and I had a few seconds of panic. I had just had my taxes filed within the last week, and the last thing anyone wants to hear at this time of year is even the hint the IRS is looking for you.
So I can see how, even with the news reminding people of these scams, how some fall for them, and how others are at least concerned, intimidated or down right scared. And I don't find any value in demeaning people for doing so.
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