(Going literal ELI5) Before cell phones and caller ID, when the phone rang, the only way to figure out who was calling you was to pick up the phone and talk to them.

During that time, most of the people who called you on the phone were people you wanted to talk to like your friends and relatives.

Today’s seniors grew up during that time and so they are used to picking up the phone no matter who calls and listening to what the caller says.

Scammers are then trained to speak very persuasively and instill fear into people to get those people to do what the scammer says.