Why do older adults fall for poorly worded scams?

Tax season has just wrapped up for most of the country (with an extension in Southern California due to the wildfires). The IRS has warned about common scams targeting older adults. One of them is the tax refund scam.

It usually shows up as an email, text, or even a physical letter claiming you’re owed a refund from the IRS. While our team was researching this topic, we started noticing something. The messages were full of spelling mistakes, random capital letters, and odd punctuation.

Source: CBS4 Indy

Source: Yolo County District Attorney’s Office

Source: WCNC Charlotte

Bad Grammar Isn’t a Mistake — It’s a Test

At first, it might seem like the scammers just don’t know how to write or they may not have a good grasp of the English language. Or maybe they just don't care.

But it's actually on purpose.

According to cybersecurity expert Joseph Steinberg, scammers use bad grammar as a way to filter out skeptical people.

Think of it as an early screening method: If someone still believes the message — despite the typos — they’re more likely to fall for the rest of the scam.

It’s a cruel but efficient tactic. Scammers don’t want to waste time on people who are likely to question them. They’re searching for the most vulnerable ones.

He also noted that when scammers pretend to be a person (instead of a company or agency), bad grammar and informal tone can actually make the message seem more personal or real — like it’s just a casual note from someone you know.

This makes the scam feel more believable — and that’s exactly what the scammers want.

Why Older Adults Are More Vulnerable

For many of us, the poor grammar is a red flag. But for older adults, these signs aren’t always obvious.

Researchers at the University of Florida found that people in their 70s and older show declines in analytical thinking, which affects their ability to detect false or misleading information.

Memory challenges that come with age can also make older adults more likely to fall for email phishing attempts.

And, over time, our ability to judge trustworthiness changes. Inj on of their studies, they found that older adults continued to trust people who looked friendly — even after being misled by them in a gambling game.

This combination of cognitive and social vulnerability contributed to $3.4 billion in scam-related losses for older adults in 2023, according to the FBI.

What We Can Do

If there are older adults in your life, you can help protect them from scams by having regular conversations about what to watch out for.

Remind them that the IRS will never contact them via email or text to ask for personal information.

Encourage them to call you or another trusted person before responding to any message that seems suspicious or unexpected.

Also, let them know that there’s no need to rush — scammers often create a false sense of urgency, but real institutions like the IRS do not operate that way.

If you or someone you know needs support or guidance, you can contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311).

To learn more about how to recognize official IRS communications, visit irs.gov/help/how-to-know-its-the-irs.