The funny thing is that old people are the perfect marketing target for such a filthy business:
"I loved getting those calls," Mr. Guthrie said in an interview. "Since my wife passed away, I don’t have many people to talk with. I didn’t even know they were stealing from me until everything was gone."
The telemarketing market is humungous and has grew bigger again in 2006 to reach a global $177 billion in revenues. Analysts say that the elderly are the reason for this continuing growth since they love phone calls so much.
The NYT makes a good point about infoUSA questionable selling techniques:
"Oldies but Goodies" contained 500,000 gamblers over 55 years old, for 8.5 cents apiece. One list said: "These people are gullible. They want to believe that their luck can change.
However, to my point of view, the focus should be made on us, sons and daughters of older moms and dads. Old people are lonely, because we don't hang out with them. They are just like abandoned babies, depending on others and extremely vulnerable.
Moral is: if you don't take care of your pop to get the money when he retires from living, then someone else will do it for you. This might sound like a raw and unhearty statement to you, as it does to me, but those thieves are only providing the love a child is lacking to provide.
Finally, while the NYT is accusing the business system to exist, let's blame love for making such fools out of us.
Bilking the Elderly, With a Corporate Assist
