The Aftermath of Technology-Mediated Scams: Strengthening Older Adults’ Efforts Toward Redress
Ankenbauer, Sam Addison ; Brewer, Robin N. (2026) — ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction
DOI:
10.1145/3805036
Type:
Journal Article
Country:
United States
Synopsis (AI-Generated)
A U.S. multi-method qualitative study of adults aged 65+ who had endured a scam within the prior 3-4 weeks. Researchers collected a Qualtrics survey from 44 participants, conducted semi-structured interviews with 15, and obtained one-week daily diaries from 10, with optional scam-related artifacts. Participants used corporate resources more often than government resources after scams. Financial loss was the most common material impact, followed by identity theft and credit-score damage. The place-based recruitment across five neighboring Midwestern U.S. communities limits transferability; most participants were white, reflecting those communities.
Identified Gaps (AI-Generated)
Prior scholarship emphasizes pre-scam prevention, awareness, literacy, risk perception, and scam-enactment mechanisms, while comparatively little is known about post-scam affective, social, and material consequences or older adults’ redress practices. Research also often collapses elder financial abuse by known people with fraud/scams by unknown parties, limiting understanding of their distinct trajectories. Existing evidence is frequently survey-based or secondary-data analysis.
Methods (AI-Generated)
A U.S. multi-method qualitative study of adults aged 65+ who had endured a scam within the prior 3–4 weeks. Researchers collected a Qualtrics survey from 44 participants, conducted semi-structured interviews with 15, and obtained one-week daily diaries from 10, with optional scam-related artifacts. Interviews and diary data were thematically analyzed through an iterative hybrid inductive/deductive coding process involving two researchers.
Limitations (AI-Generated)
The place-based recruitment across five neighboring Midwestern U.S. communities limits transferability; most participants were white, reflecting those communities. The follow-up sample was small (15 interviews; 10 diaries), and recruitment required recent scam endurance and willingness to disclose sensitive experiences, which may exclude people who disengaged or were reluctant to report after a scam. Diaries captured only one week of post-scam life.
Future Work (AI-Generated)
Develop research, design, and intervention approaches that treat the post-scam as a sustained site of coordination, redress, and justice-seeking. The paper calls for equitable, transparent redress systems responsive to older adults’ lived realities, complementing prevention, digital-literacy, and in-scam disruption efforts.
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