Often scammers don't want to make it less obvious. If it's obvious and the mark falls for it, it's a good indicator they're on the hook and will fall for more. It's to filter out the less gullible so the scammer doesn't waste their time. Probably not the case with this situation specifically, but it holds true in general with scams.
General Election 2024: Politicians 'not professional enough to be clowns' as performers and punters weigh up votes in election circus ( news.sky.com )
Things the guys who stole my phone have texted me to try to get me to unlock it - Gothamist ( gothamist.com )
This is a very entertaining and educational article, giving insights into the methods used by thiefs to try and get access to your phone data....