Fascinating article.

Brian Whiddon, the site’s managing editor, elaborated: “Not every author is a narcissist, but they all want to be recognized. … That’s exactly what these scammers are targeting. They have identified a very, very lucrative niche.”

Writers are waiting “for somebody to read their writing,” Hoy added. She argued that is why many writers believe the praise scammers heap on them. AI makes many of the compliments sound nuanced and personalized. Elderly authors are particularly vulnerable. As Hoy explained, a significant number of people who have a book in them leave off the writing until they have retired. Something else also kicks into the picture at this life stage: a sizable retirement fund. Scammers know American people have worked their whole lives and have retirement accounts, Hoy said.

fraudsters hate towards retired people is astounding.

As someone creeping towards retirement, I get it. Retired people interact with fewer other folks than working people (i.e. they have fewer people to tell them it's a scam). They often are lonely and eager for someone to tell them that their life meant something. They are less tech- and scam-savvy than younger folks. Absent-mindedness and fuzzy thinking (like gullibility) starts to set in. And, because the US has such a weak "public safety net", they often have private retirement funds they they control. Really, retired people are the perfect targets.

it just sucks to be a retiree it seems. thanks to our eastern neighbors i'd be lucky to reach 40 with all these drones and ballistic missiles and whatnot.