How Deceptive Campaign Fund-Raising Ensnares Older People - The New York Times

The dirty little secret of online political fund-raising is that the most aggressive & pernicious practices used to raise money are especially likely to ensnare older people, say digital strategists who examineof federal donation & refund data. They specifically target older internet users, blasting out messages with subject lines like “Social Security” that have particular resonance for older people, and spending disproportionately on ads for an older audience.The most unscrupulous tactics of direct mail have been rebooted for the digital age,  with ruthless new precision, and deploy an array of manipulative tactics that can deceive donors of all age groups: faux bill notices and official-looking correspondence; bogus offers to match donations and hidden links to unsubscribe; and prechecked boxes that automatically repeat donations, which are widely seen as the most egregious scheme.