The Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department reported on Tuesday that since the beginning of this year, the province's public security organs have cracked down hard on elderly-targeted fraud, solving a total of 160 cases, dismantling 44 criminal gangs, apprehending 1,081 suspects, detaining 954, and involving an amount of 63.983 million yuan (about 39.137 million ringgit), delivering a strong deterrent to such illegal activities.
According to the report, at present, fraudulent methods targeting the elderly are covert and diverse, mainly concentrated in six areas: First, fraud in elderly care services, where perpetrators collect large fees under the guise of pre-selling beds or signing up memberships and then disappear; Second, investment fraud in elderly care projects, fabricating "elderly care apartments" and similar schemes, luring seniors into illegal fundraising with promises of high interest dividends; Third, fraudulent sales of elderly care products, repackaging ordinary food as “miracle drugs” and selling at high prices; Fourth, the “reverse mortgage” trap, where fraudsters deceive seniors into signing loan contracts under the pretense of “reverse mortgage for elderly care”, illegally seizing property; Fifth, fraudulent agency for elderly insurance, impersonating public officials to charge service fees for supposed “back payment of insurance contributions”; Sixth, the elderly care support scam, where fraudsters feign care in the name of charity, but actually peddle low-quality products or induce money transfers.
The police urge all elderly friends and their families: Always choose official channels to inquire about elderly care services and be cautious with pre-paid consumption; abide by rational investment principles and beware of “zero risk, high return” traps; seek medical attention at established hospitals instead of believing in “miracle doctors” or “miracle drugs”; if you receive calls or visits involving money transfers, discuss and verify with your family promptly; keep contracts, transfer slips and other evidence safely, and report to the police immediately if defrauded.
Guangdong police stated that they will continue to maintain a tough crackdown, deepen coordinated governance with civil affairs, market supervision, and financial departments, press criminal space on a regular basis, and call on all sectors of society to jointly spread anti-fraud knowledge, report illegal activity clues, and protect the elderly's happy retirement.