Everyone knows that older Americans — especially the elderly — are the most likely to be
scam victims, right? Turns out, this is a myth.
We are all at risk, but younger and more educated individuals are actually the most likely to be scammed.
— Emma Fletcher, BBB Institute
In fact, according to a new report link by
BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, Millennials are more likely to be scammed than boomers.
BBB Institute, the educational foundation of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, just surveyed 2,021 adults, asking whether they’d lost money to a scam in the previous year. Roughly 30 percent of those age 25 to 34 were scam victims, while less than 10 percent of those 55 and older were.
Stereotypes of Scam Victims Are Wrong
“We’ve bought into the stereotypes about scam victims — they’re usually seen as vulnerable and elderly, or gullible and poorly educated,” said Emma Fletcher, product manager with BBB Institute. “These stereotypes are strongly held…and they are wrong.”
