Why are the elderly so gullible?

[classic33]

Sorry to hear about this, and it's awful that it goes on, but I have to say that every time one of these threads appears there's a rush of 'good old days' posts that are, forgive me, just nonsense. There have always been scumbags, and there always will be. I see no evidence that there are any more, or worse, than has ever been the case. If anything I'd say the opposite is true - my kids' generation seem much more courteous and considerate and sensitive to others' feelings and perspectives than was the case when I was young. When I was their age, the N word and its equivalents for disabled/homosexual/other were common currency.

As for the OP, I fear there's little you can do beyond what you have been doing, other than perhaps one message to drum home at every opportunity (Keep It Simple) - "Call me." Whatever the situation, if you're in any doubt, if someone's pressuring you, just put the phone down and call me.

They've been replaced by newer words/terms, the same as anything else.

 

[Dirk]

The part of the brain that controls belief and doubt deteriorates from the age of 55.

Mine has gone the opposite way. I'm more cynical and less trusting now than I've ever been.

 

[swee'pea99]

They've been replaced by newer words/terms, the same as anything else.

No, they haven't. They've disappeared from the culture, along with smoking indoors and drink driving. There are doubtless remaining islands of ignorant thuggery where such language and the mindset it betrays are acceptable, but they're the exception rather than, as when I was young, the rule. Let alone evidence that we're all going to hell in a handcart.

 

[Globalti]

Drink driving has not disappeared, in quiet rural areas there are still people driving home from the pub absolutely slaughtered.

 

[Siclo]

Drink driving has not disappeared, in quiet rural areas there are still people driving home from the pub absolutely slaughtered.

And condoned by the police in some places. Few years ago walking home from the pub in North Cornwall:

Two locals wander out the Liberal club, one says to the local PC 'It's OK, I'm not driving', PC replies 'No the other p***head is. You've got 10 minutes' Nobody in the conversation lived more than 15 mins walk from the club.

 

[Globalti]

The chances of being caught are tiny, unless you happen to have an accident because nowadays the Police don't patrol and stop drivers on instinct, they sit by the road and wait for ANPR to do the job for them then tweet about their successes to create an impression of activity.

 

[raleighnut]

And condoned by the police in some places. Few years ago walking home from the pub in North Cornwall:

Two locals wander out the Liberal club, one says to the local PC 'It's OK, I'm not driving', PC replies 'No the other p***head is. You've got 10 minutes' Nobody in the conversation lived more than 15 mins walk from the club.

All the decent pubs that do 'Lock ins' inevitably break out the ashtrays once the doors are locked, mind you 35yrs ago I used to drink 'after hours' in a pub in Enderby with the majority of Braunstone CID. The Landlord had been told on the QT though "If we're not in here then don't stay open late", a couple of months later he remembered this and cos they weren't in closed at the regulation time, half an hour later 3 vans and 12-15 'Woolley Suits' arrived. Apparently they were a bit miffed to find the Landlord and his wife hoovering the (empty) pub.

 

[Lonestar]

Drink driving has not disappeared, in quiet rural areas there are still people driving home from the pub absolutely slaughtered.

....and drugs.

 

[Tin Pot]

My Mum aged 87 was on the phone for over 30 minutes yesterday morning being hectored by somebody from India who Mum thought was from Talk Talk trying to set up something new. The scammer got her to download something onto her laptop but she had to end the call as she had an appointment to keep. We have told her many many times not to talk to anybody on the phone about her computer or her bank or personal affairs yet she still falls for it. "I was so confused and this woman kept shouting that I have lots of things wrong with my computer!" This morning the scammer is still trying to call her back so I've sent her instructions for blocking numbers on her phone.

When I asked her what she is expecting Talk Talk to set up for her she replied: "I don't know, it's something to do with my letters I think. They phoned me and said they would email but they must have got my email address wrong so I've written a letter to tell them!"

She was scammed last month by a TV aerial repair bloke who took £435 off her for 5 minutes work.

I despair. I really, truly despair. This morning she is asking me: "Why am I so naive?" My answer:

1 - The part of the brain that controls belief and doubt deteriorates from the age of 55.

2 - Many older folk are wealthy so have a more relaxed attitude to financial risk.

3 - Older folk grew up when trust was a part of morality and they had that reinforced every Sunday in church. When they were young most people were still trustworthy.

I've explained this to her. What else can I do to make her more aware of fraudsters?

Disconnect phone and internet, swap sugar in her tea with Class A drugs, and she’ll be fine.

 

[BoldonLad]

A couple of points (from an old age pensioner), they may not be relevant, but, will do no harm:

- Have you registered your mother's telephone number with TPS (telephone preference service)? It is not perfect, but, does cut down the number of nuisance calls. (a similar service exists for junk mail, called, predictably, MPS).
- Have you considered speaking to her telephone service provider to have her number changed, if they (the scammers) don't have her number, they cannot ring her. Sadly, I believe there is a "market" in telephone numbers of vulnerable people, so, her number may well being passed on.

From personal experience, with my late mother, I think a factor is, that generation were much less likely to challenge "authority", and, much less likely to be blunt and/or rude. Not problems I personally have (at present).

 

[byegad]

I doubt it's too much to do with age, until someone reaches the point when they are at least Gah!, If not Gah! Gah!.

Scammers must spend a fortune on calls that go nowhere, and yet, it must still be worth their while and money to call.

As a crusty old fart, I'm too obstinate to fall for the scams, but my Lady Byegad is much less vigilant. Over the years I've twice stopped her giving a caller 'security answers'. As it turned out both were banks with which she deals and a call to the number on the card, got things sorted. But it could have been a scammer trying to gain access to her accounts.

Banks carry a lot of the blame for such breaches as they persist in calling and asking for security answers, when they have called you. I had a caller gob-smacked that I refused to 'go through security' when she called me. She could not understand why I wouldn't give details when 'she was trying to help me'. This eventually turned out to be about a transaction on a credit card which they weren't sure about. All was sorted out once I called the number on the card, but the guy who spoke to me, after I'd called them, really didn't understand why I had refused to give a cold* caller my details.

Meanwhile when we catch the crooked beggars who scam the vulnerable I can come up with some creative** punishments for the scrotes!

*I hadn't requested a call and had no way of knowing anything other than the number they'd called from, which wasn't the one on my card!

** Creative as in very painful, permanent and humiliating!

 

[raleighnut]

I doubt it's too much to do with age, until someone reaches the point when they are at least Gah!, If not Gah! Gah!.

Scammers must spend a fortune on calls that go nowhere, and yet, it must still be worth their while and money to call.

As a crusty old fart, I'm too obstinate to fall for the scams, but my Lady Byegad is much less vigilant. Over the years I've twice stopped her giving a caller 'security answers'. As it turned out both were banks with which she deals and a call to the number on the card, got things sorted. But it could have been a scammer trying to gain access to her accounts.

Banks carry a lot of the blame for such breaches as they persist in calling and asking for security answers, when they have called you. I had a caller gob-smacked that I refused to 'go through security' when she called me. She could not understand why I wouldn't give details when 'she was trying to help me'. This eventually turned out to be about a transaction on a credit card which they weren't sure about. All was sorted out once I called the number on the card, but the guy who spoke to me, after I'd called them, really didn't understand why I had refused to give a cold* caller my details.

Meanwhile when we catch the crooked beggars who scam the vulnerable I can come up with some creative** punishments for the scrotes!

*I hadn't requested a call and had no way of knowing anything other than the number they'd called from, which wasn't the one on my card!

** Creative as in very painful, permanent and humiliating!

Make em work in a call centre?

 

[oldwheels]

Today I had to deal with a major financial institution. They are to send me a sizable sum of money from a pension fund. On the phone they could not take my bank details because all incoming calls are recorded and therefore not secure. Someone would phone me later and get my bank details. The person I was speaking to seemed surprised when I said there was no chance of me giving any details to an incoming call. This was genuine so it seems that some have not got the security message of not responding to any incoming call. They will write to me and I can respond in writing. I will admit to being ancient but hopefully not too gaga.

 

[Tin Pot]

I know that power of attorney is the legal way, but I’ve often thought that if my mum just gives me all the money then they can’t stral from her.

 

[MontyVeda]

Today I had to deal with a major financial institution. They are to send me a sizable sum of money from a pension fund. On the phone they could not take my bank details because all incoming calls are recorded and therefore not secure. Someone would phone me later and get my bank details. The person I was speaking to seemed surprised when I said there was no chance of me giving any details to an incoming call. This was genuine so it seems that some have not got the security message of not responding to any incoming call. They will write to me and I can respond in writing. I will admit to being ancient but hopefully not too gaga.

surely all they'd need is your account number and sort code... apart from make a deposit, what else can be done with that information?