This means that currently twelve to thirteen percent of the national population is comprised of senior citizens. However, thirty percent of all cases of fraud are perpetrated against that older twelve or thirteen percent of the population. Loneliness can sometimes cause them to reach out to telemarketers for company, and thus lay the groundwork for their being conned. Furthermore, seniors may not have regular contact with relatives and friends with whom they can discuss prospective investment schemes or financial affairs. They often have no one that they can trust to double check their financial affairs.
Con men prey on vulnerability and loneliness.
They may spend hours talking to prospective victims. At first they try to get a small contribution and establish some sort of trusting relationship with an elderly person. They may even seek to substitute their guidance for that of a distant family or friends. The declining health that comes with age makes it difficult for some seniors to leave their home and also deprives them of their ability to perform even simple household repairs. This can make the offer of chores performed by a travelling company or workman con-artist very difficult to resist.