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Financial Fraud among Older Americans: Evidence and Implications

Author

Listed:
  • Marguerite DeLiema
  • Martha Deevy
  • Annamaria Lusardi
  • Olivia S. Mitchell

Abstract

The consequences of poor financial capability at older ages are serious and include making mistakes with credit, spending retirement assets too quickly, and being defrauded by financial predators. Because older persons are at or past the peak of their wealth accumulation, they are often the targets of fraud. Our project analyzes a module we developed and fielded in the 2016 Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Using this dataset, we evaluate the incidence and risk factors for investment fraud, prize/lottery scams, and account misuse, using regression analysis. Relatively few HRS respondents mentioned any single form of fraud over the prior five years, but nearly 5% reported at least one form of investment fraud, 4 % recounted prize/lottery fraud, and 30% indicated that others had used/attempted to use their accounts without permission. There were few risk factors consistently associated with such victimization in the older population. Fraud is a complex phenomenon and no single factor uniquely predicts victimization. The incidence of fraud could be reduced by educating consumers about various types of fraud and by increasing awareness among financial service professionals.

Suggested Citation

  • Marguerite DeLiema & Martha Deevy & Annamaria Lusardi & Olivia S. Mitchell, 2018. "Financial Fraud among Older Americans: Evidence and Implications," NBER Working Papers 24803, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:24803
    Note: AG
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    Cited by:

    1. Elif Kubilay & Eva Raiber & Lisa Spantig & Jana Cahlíková & Lucy Kaaria, 2023. "Financial fraud in developing countries: Common scam detection tips do not help distinguish scam from non-scam messages," ECONtribute Policy Brief Series 056, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    2. Carlin, Bruce & Umar, Tarik & Yi, Hanyi, 2023. "Deputizing financial institutions to fight elder abuse," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(3), pages 557-577.
    3. Brenner, Lukas & Meyll, Tobias & Stolper, Oscar & Walter, Andreas, 2020. "Consumer fraud victimization and financial well-being," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    4. Auer, Raphael & Tercero-Lucas, David, 2022. "Distrust or speculation? The socioeconomic drivers of U.S. cryptocurrency investments," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    5. Jessie X. Fan & Zhou Yu, 2022. "Prevalence and Risk Factors of Consumer Financial Fraud in China," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 384-396, June.
    6. Wei, Li & Peng, Ming & Wu, Weixing, 2021. "Financial literacy and fraud detection——Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 478-494.
    7. Kubilay, Elif & Raiber, Eva & Spantig, Lisa & Cahlíková, Jana & Kaaria, Lucy, 2023. "Can you spot a scam? Measuring and improving scam identification ability," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    8. Amitabh Chandra & Courtney Coile & Corina Mommaerts, 2023. "What Can Economics Say about Alzheimer's Disease?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 61(2), pages 428-470, June.
    9. Hagen, Johannes & Malisa, Amedeus, 2022. "Financial fraud and individual investment behavior," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 593-626.
    10. John Ameriks & Andrew Caplin & Minjoon Lee & Matthew D. Shapiro & Christopher Tonetti, 2023. "Cognitive Decline, Limited Awareness, Imperfect Agency, and Financial Well-Being," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 5(1), pages 125-140, March.
    11. Bruce I. Carlin & Tarik Umar & Hanyi Yi, 2020. "Deputization," NBER Working Papers 27225, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Osvaldo García-Mata & Mariana Zerón-Félix, 2022. "A review of the theoretical foundations of financial well-being," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 69(2), pages 145-176, June.
    13. Xiao, Xiao & Li, Xiangyi & Zhou, Yi, 2022. "Financial literacy overconfidence and investment fraud victimization," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    14. Burke, Jeremy & Kieffer, Christine & Mottola, Gary & Perez-Arce, Francisco, 2022. "Can educational interventions reduce susceptibility to financial fraud?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 250-266.
    15. Kim, Hugh H. & Maurer, Raimond & Mitchell, Olivia S., 2021. "How financial literacy shapes the demand for financial advice at older ages," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 20(C).
    16. Noviarini, Jelita & Coleman, Andrew & Roberts, Helen & Whiting, Rosalind H., 2021. "Financial literacy, debt, risk tolerance and retirement preparedness: Evidence from New Zealand," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    17. David Aristei & Manuela Gallo, 2021. "Financial Knowledge, Confidence, and Sustainable Financial Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-21, September.
    18. Gallego-Losada, Rocío & Montero-Navarro, Antonio & Rodríguez-Sánchez, José-Luis & González-Torres, Thais, 2022. "Retirement planning and financial literacy, at the crossroads. A bibliometric analysis," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).
    19. Steven James Lee, 2021. "Does Fixed Income Buffer against Fraud Shocks?," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-22, October.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • D18 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Protection

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