A ready-made phrase for seniors to deflect unwanted offers

No cost at all. It only takes a few minutes to discuss this with the senior once.

Sales pitches and scams rely on immediate pressure. The US Federal Trade Commission's fraud guide says scammers want action before you have time to think. On the phone they tell you not to hang up so you cannot verify their claims. The guide advises telling someone first—a friend, family member or neighbor; saying it aloud may reveal the scam. China's former banking and insurance regulator likewise advised older people in a 2021 warning to consult family before buying financial products. One experiment recruited 116 people aged 65 to 85 and 115 aged 30 to 40. A win-or-lose game aroused some participants emotionally before they viewed misleading exaggerated advertisements. Those actually aroused were more willing to buy. Regardless of arousal, older participants were more willing than younger participants. The authors recommended waiting until emotions settled before spending. Another experiment involved previous victims of mail fraud, mostly older people. Without a prior warning, nearly half immediately agreed during a simulated fraudulent sales call. Those warned by phone 2 to 4 weeks beforehand were significantly less likely to agree immediately. Agreeing on ‘I need to go home and discuss this with my family’ provides a graceful exit without deciding on the spot.

Federal Trade Commission (2023). How To Avoid a Scam. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scam；中国银保监会消费者权益保护局 (2021). 关于警惕「投资养老」「以房养老」金融诈骗的风险提示（2021 年第三期）. https://dfjrjgj.hunan.gov.cn/dfjrjgj/yhlj/202106/t20210608_19450856.html（湖南省地方金融监督管理局转载）；Kircanski K, Notthoff N, DeLiema M, et al. (2018). Emotional arousal may increase susceptibility to fraud in older and younger adults. Psychology and Aging, 33(2), 325-337. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000228；Scheibe S, Notthoff N, Menkin J, et al. (2014). Forewarning reduces fraud susceptibility in vulnerable consumers. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 36(3), 272-279. https://doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2014.903844

Rated B because neither experiment tested this phrase itself. One tested willingness to buy under emotional arousal; the other tested advance warnings. No study compared fraud losses among older people prepared with this phrase. Use it with item 3 (keep older people's money in a separate account). Also make home fall-prevention changes; see Section 1. The phrase gives the older person a way out without having to resist on the spot; it is not a device for controlling them. Surrounded by salespeople, refusing before a roomful of people can be harder than judging truthfulness.