This. Loneliness is powerful; I suspect that if you're lonely enough, even a scam call conversation has appeal. There are even suggestions that loneliness has physical implications [0].

My father suffers from vascular dementia. He's pretty agreeable these days (a lot more so than he used to be). Fortunately an underlying suspicion of strangers calling to talk about money on the telephone has triumphed thus far, but I do expect that this balance will change over time.

[0] https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/social-isolation-loneliness-old...