Older adults are some of the most financially vulnerable people in the U.S. According to the FBI, millions of people aged over 60 fall victim to financial fraud each year, with losses totaling $3.4 billion in 2023, an 11% increase from the year before.
Experts say that number is almost certainly higher, since embarrassment or confusion keeps many from coming forward.
Additionally, financial exploitation is one of the most common forms of elder abuse, and older victims usually lose much more money than younger ones.
Uber Eats driver shows how easily seniors can be taken advantage of
That’s the backdrop to a TikTok video posted by delivery driver Lori Wilson (@its_lorib), whose video about an elderly customer has racked up more than 6,000 views.
In it, she explained how an older woman nearly handed over her credit card at the door.
“So I’m doing Uber Eats, and this sweet little old lady comes to the door with her credit card,” Wilson says.
The woman seemed confused about her order and started to insist that she still owed money.
“She’s like, giving me her credit card, and I’m like, ‘Ma’am, no, dude, I do not need your credit card for any reason whatsoever. You have already paid for your food. I’m just delivering it to you,’” Wilson states.
The woman then asked whether the tip had been included. Wilson reassured her. “Don’t even worry about it. Don’t even worry about it,” she reiterated.
A situation that could have gone wrong
Wilson admitted she couldn’t stop thinking about what might have happened if the wrong person had shown up.
“I really hope that the rest of her delivery people do not try to take advantage of that old lady,” she says. “If I wasn’t a good person, she would have been good and scammed.”
She added that her faith guided her decision. “Because I am a child of God and I believe in karma, and I know that you reap what you sow, I said, ma’am, no,” she exclaims. “No, ma’am, because I am not trying to go to jail.”
Instead, Wilson helped the woman wrangle her dog back inside and left with a heavy thought.
“Somebody else probably really would have took advantage of her,” she says. “I’m just so glad I don’t have that type of spirit. Because Jesus Christ, lady, put your credit card up.”
@its_lorib Delivery drivers please be careful how you treat people. Safety goes both ways #ubereatsdriver ♬ original sound – its_lorib
Commenters share similar experiences
Her story hit home for viewers, many of whom said they’d seen similar situations with older people.
One user shared, “I once delivered to a man asking me how much the total was and wasn’t sure if he had enough cash. I was like, oh, it’s already paid. He literally followed me to my car, kept trying to pay me in cash for the food. I said, ‘NO SIR.’”
Others pointed out how widespread the problem is. “The older population is so dang willing. It’s scary,” one wrote.
Another joked they might have handled it differently: “You better than me, I was gonna tell her she gotta download Cash App.”
The Mary Sue has reached out to Wilson and Uber via email.
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