We all like to think we are smart, independent, in full control of our lives, and there is no way any of us would fall for a financial scam, like those lonely old seniors do, because “that happens to them, not to me, because I am smart.”
But the truth is, even smart people fall for it, people with master degrees, people who work in academia, people running large business… Even I could fall for this.
And how did you learn to recognize it?
Back before my nan was moved into permanent care for her dementia, she kept falling victim to these mail order scams. Heaps and heaps of junk mail would land on her doormat every day offering real products that were often delivered, but were either awful quality dropshipped crap (clothes or plastic junk) or something she could buy in the corner shop down the road for 10% of the price (one that stands out that I remember is a pack of 4 mini apple tarts that cost like £29.99)
Of course the more she bought, the more junk mail she got, and I remember my dad bringing home multiple bin bags of these letters every week that he had confiscated from her before she could mail them back. Her kitchen counters were piled up with these forms every time we visited and it was so difficult to get rid of them because she would get angry if anyone “stole her post”.