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Older people are thought to be particularly susceptible to scams, but whether lack of scam awareness might be an early indicator of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia is unclear. Researchers in Chicago enrolled almost 1000 people (mean age, 81) without dementia who were participating in a memory and aging study. Enrollees underwent annual structured clinical evaluations, including cognitive testing, for a median 6 years. They rated their openness to sales pitches, interest in potentially risky investments, and awareness of age-related vulnerability. Brain autopsies were performed in a subset of 254 deceased patients (mean age at death, 91).
After adjustment for age, sex, and education, low scam awareness was associated significantly…