A new study led by researchers from the University of Florida has found that older age is a significant risk factor for falling victim to phishing emails. This finding is particularly relevant as email phishing—where individuals are deceived into disclosing personal or confidential information—is increasingly common. Between 2020 and 2021, financial losses among over 92,000 older fraud victims in the U.S. rose by 74%, amounting to $1.7 billion, according to the paper published in PNAS Nexus.
“One goal of this study was to identify risk profiles for susceptibility to deception,” said senior author Natalie Ebner, Ph.D., a UF professor of psychology and McKnight Brain Institute researcher. “This paper suggests it’s age. The older you are, the higher the risk.”
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