In today's times, we are witnessing an increase in
criminal activity targeting seniors. This includes fraud, increased pressure,
threats, deception, theft, as well as aggressive attacks. Perpetrators
deliberately target seniors because they consider them "easier"
targets for criminal activity, especially due to the influence or consequences
of their advanced age (generativity).
Scammers or aggressors behave towards their victims
in a sophisticated manner with a well-thought-out (often organized) program.
Scenario of Fabricated Legends
Among frequently used legends is the legend of the grandchild, relative -
culprits contact seniors by phone, introduce themselves as their relatives, and
ask to borrow money for various purposes.
Service legend - culprits visit seniors directly in their homes
and introduce themselves as employees of companies or institutions, claiming
they've come to disconnect gas, replace an electricity meter, increase their
pension, pay out a prize, overcharge for water, and so on.
Home sales legend - culprits also visit seniors at their homes and
offer them low-quality and overpriced goods for sale, such as pots, knives, or
blankets.
In addition to the mentioned legends, culprits also
employ other strategies to gain the
trust of seniors, such as offering various services or repairs or posing as
members of the police force who are checking the authenticity of banknotes or
have come to report an accident involving their relatives and collect a fine.
From a criminal law perspective, this involves
specific criminal activity targeting seniors, which takes the form of:
• Economic crime (fraud, embezzlement)
• Property crime (theft, property damage, use of
property by a third party)
• Violent crime (robbery, home invasion, assault on
health).
This specific criminal activity also exhibits a
certain degree of latency, especially when seniors do not report this criminal
activity, mainly due to feelings of shame or a lack of awareness that they have
become victims of fraudsters and thieves.
Why are seniors "easier" targets?
Among the risk factors, both personal and external,
that make seniors a vulnerable social group and an "easier" target in
the context of fraudulent behavior are:
1) Widespread social isolation and loneliness
(often involving widowed or living alone individuals characterized by
stereotypical behavior, underdeveloped and applied critical thinking, physical
weakness, or vulnerability).
2) Increased gullibility threshold (many seniors
tend to trust others unconditionally. Moreover, they are often overly polite,
which can be easily exploited by fraudsters. Fraudsters have the ability to
quickly build trust with their victims. They use charisma, polite behavior, and
deceptive stories to convince their victims of their true identity and
intentions).
3) An uncritical approach and trust in authority
(seniors are more prone to trust authorities such as doctors, lawyers, or
officials. Fraudsters sometimes pose as these professionals to achieve their
goals, gaining sensitive information, benefits, or money based on the trust
they've established).
4) Vulnerability and heightened emotional
dependence (so-called romantic scammers often employ psychological tactics to create
an emotional bond with the victim. This often includes compliments, flattery,
and attention at the beginning of the relationship. They then introduce their
demands and forced concessions from the senior to obtain what they want –
finances, property, etc.).
5) Willingness to help and altruistic behavior
(seniors often express a willingness to help others. Fraudsters are aware of
this and use this characteristic to gain access to their finances or personal
information).
6) Lower ability to resist fear and intimidation
(some fraudsters, often close relatives according to statistics, may intimidate
or instill fear in the victim to achieve their goals. They may threaten
physical or legal violence to make the victim comply with their demands).
7) Insufficient digital skills (with the increasing
digitalization of the world, seniors who are less skilled in using new
technologies can easily be fooled into thinking they are victims of legitimate
online services that are actually fraudulent).
8) Need for financial assistance (some seniors may
have limited income and are looking for ways to improve their financial
situation. This makes them more susceptible to investment scams. Investment
scams involve promising high returns on investments that are too good to be
true).
The present time brings a multitude of risks and
scams that endanger not only individuals and organizations but also people of
different age groups, both younger and older. Fraudsters, whether individuals
or groups, will always focus on dishonest manipulation, deceit, and gaining
advantages at the expense of their victims. Protection against them requires
increased attention from all sectors (restrictive, informational-educational,
technological), which can stop dishonest behavior. It is precisely through a
combination of technical measures and public education (including senior
education) that we could effectively defend against new risks and currently
existing sophisticated scams in the future.
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