Doctors from the University of Michigan said there is a strong link between older adults with worse physical or mental health and being more vulnerable to scams.
Taking care of health problems can take up a lot of time and energy. That leaves less time and energy to devote to other things in one’s life. This means it’s possible that could leave older adults with health problems more vulnerable to scam attempts.
Michigan Medicine Dr. Jeff Kullgren said older adults with lower incomes were also more likely to report experiencing either a fraud or scam. A recent poll found that more than half of poll participants weren’t sure about their ability to spot a scam.
They found that older adults who had health problems or a disability were more likely to be the victim of a scam in the last two years. They also found that the vast majority of older adults who are the victims of a scam said it had a negative impact on their financial, mental, or physical well-being.
Here are some links with information on how to identify and protect yourself from fraud: