Misleading health content directed at older adults frequently employs assertions of universal ignorance among seniors as a persuasive tactic to induce compliance.

Study: Predatory marketing and false health promotion on social media: risk pathways in diet, fitness, and supplement communication

This study shows that fake health messages on the internet trick people into believing things that aren’t true by making them feel like everyone else knows better—so they just follow along without asking questions. This is exactly what the claim says happens to older adults.

Study: Interdisciplinary Examination of the Communication Effect of Herbal Product Advertisements Targeting Health Problems in Older Adults: The Role of Advertising and Health Literacy

The study found that older adults who don’t understand health info well are more likely to believe fake health ads, especially when the ads talk about pain or quick fixes — which means scammers often use the idea that seniors don’t know better to trick them into buying stuff.

Study: Health Fraud against the Elderly in China: The Perspective of Vulnerability Manipulation

The study found that scammers trick older people by making them feel like they don’t understand health info, so they’ll blindly follow advice. This matches the claim that misleading health messages use fake claims of senior ignorance to control them.