Susceptibility to COVID-19 Scams: The Roles of Age, Individual Difference Measures, and Scam-Related Perceptions

Abstract

As the COVID-19 pandemic was unfolding, a surge in scams was registered across the globe. While COVID-19 poses higher health risks for older adults, it is unknown whether older adults are also facing higher financial risks as a result of COVID-19 scams. Here, we examined age differences in vulnerability to COVID-19 scams and individual difference measures (such as impulsivity, ad skepticism, and past experiences with fraud) that might help explain them. A lifespan sample (M = 48.03, SD = 18.56) of sixty-eight younger (18–40 years, M = 25.67, SD = 5.93), 79 middle-aged (41–64 years, M = 49.86, SD = 7.20), and 63 older adults (65–84 years, M = 69.87, SD = 4.50) recruited through Prolific completed questions and questionnaires online. In a within-subjects design, each participant responded to five COVID-19 solicitations, psychological measures, and demographic questions. Age group comparisons revealed that older adults were marginally less likely to perceive COVID-19 solicitations as genuine than middle-aged adults were. In addition, older adults perceived significantly fewer benefits than both younger and middle-aged adults did and perceived marginally higher risks than younger adults did. Hence, older adults did not exhibit greater vulnerability to COVID-19 scams. Regardless of age, intentions to respond to COVID-19 solicitations were positively predicted by higher levels of educational attainment, being married, past fraud victimization, and higher levels of positive urgency. As expected, stronger genuineness and benefit perceptions positively predicted action intentions, whereas stronger risk perceptions negatively predicted action intentions As such, COVID-19 scam susceptibility appears to be the result of a impulse control issue that is not easily inhibited, not even by past experiences of scam victimization.

Association of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Pathologies With Scam Susceptibility in Older Adults

“…41 Decisionmaking, in particular scam susceptibility, are complex behaviors that involve integration and coordination of diverse cognitive, affective, and socioemotional resources that rely on distributed neural networks. 5,14,42,43 We conceptualize that the presence of macroscopic infarcts (as well as AD pathology) impacts these brain networks and degrades specific abilities that may heighten vulnerability to scams. Neuroimaging studies have identified several interacting brain regions within, or highly connected to the frontal lobe, a brain region particularly vulnerable to infarcts (strokes) and β-amyloid pathology in early stages of AD, are likely involved in eco- nomic decision-making and socioemotional abilities.…”

“…Moreover, we have shown that the functional impact of various pathologies depends on combination, severity, and pattern of accumulation of brain pathologies . Decision-making, in particular scam susceptibility, are complex behaviors that involve integration and coordination of diverse cognitive, affective, and socioemotional resources that rely on distributed neural networks . We conceptualize that the presence of macroscopic infarcts (as well as AD pathology) impacts these brain networks and degrades specific abilities that may heighten vulnerability to scams.…”

“…For the older population, recovery from such financial losses can be almost impossible. The enormity of this public health crisis has been further exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and economic fallout, with a dramatic rise in fraud attempts targeted toward vulnerable at-risk older individuals . In 2020, the US Federal Trade Commission estimated that older adults lost $100 million to COVID-19–related fraud alone .…”

“…The enormity of this public health crisis has been further exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and economic fallout, with a dramatic rise in fraud attempts targeted toward vulnerable at-risk older individuals. 5 In 2020, the US Federal Trade Commission estimated that older adults lost $100 million to COVID-19-related fraud alone. 6 To raise public awareness, the US Senate Special Committee on Aging publishes an annual report on fighting fraud.…”

“Your Protection is in Your Hands Only”: User Awareness and Adoption of Privacy and Security Practices in Five Majority World Countries

“…Although this study was not designed to be COVID-19 specific, we would be remiss not to acknowledge the ways in which COVID-19 may have changed online behaviors and influenced responses to our research questions. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant changes to how much of the world operated and saw a rise and evolution in both internet use (Feldmann et al 2020) and online harms (Nolte et al 2021;Wood, Hengerer, and Hanoch 2022;Stock 2020). Most countries enacted lockdowns of varying severity and length.…”