Hundreds of seniors fall prey to scam

Elderly promised 50,000 in 'charity money' on investment of 10 yuan

A large number of senior people who gathered outside the National Stadium in Beijing have fallen prey to scammers who had promised them a chance of "receiving 50,000 yuan ($7,260) after paying 10 yuan," with some victims claiming they had lost 6,000 yuan to 40,000 yuan in such scams.

More police and patrol cars have been dispatched to the spot, also known as the Bird's Nest. Meanwhile, police could be seen everywhere near the stadium, making inquiries to the crowds of senior people.

From the security control room of the stadium, a frequent broadcast warned tourists not to fall into the trap of "collecting charity money outside the Bird's Nest."

The tense atmosphere around Bird's Nest follows a scam that attracted a large number of aged people to "collect 50,000 yuan in charity money outside the stadium."

Wang Juan, a Shandong resident in her 60s, is one of the victims who came to Beijing in the hope of getting a big bonus but found her hopes dashed after waiting outside the stadium in vain for the whole day on Sunday. However, Wang said she could not get in contact with the scammer.

"I trusted them because the organizer told us it was a charity group founded by the government. We raised the money so we could get the treasures buried by wealthy people in the past," said Wang.

Local public security bureaus across China have repeatedly warned against the scam and police officials have detained 31 suspects swindling people by offering charity money outside the stadium, China's Ministry of Public Security announced on Sunday.

A netizen surnamed Su, whose mother came to Beijing on Thursday and lost contact ever since, told the Global Times that her mother already lost some 40,000 yuan due to this fraud. "She constantly gave money to the organizer for almost one year," said Su.

Su's experience was shared by other victims' family members, who said that the swindlers claimed that if they invest enough money, they will get their rewards which are hundreds of times of their investment.

Most of the senior people firmly trust the authorities, Wu Boxin, a Beijing-based expert on criminal psychology, told the Global Times, adding that if the instructions related to money issues are given in the name of "government officials," the elderly tend to be easily convinced.

Chen Zhenglin, an elderly resident in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province killed himself after losing 100,000 yuan to a swindler who claimed to be selling healthcare products.

Wang said she came with more than 300 elderly people from Weihai, Shandong, while there are many more from other parts of the country.

Elderly people are easier to fall prey to scams mainly because they are keen on availing petty benefits, and tend to trust those they spend long time with, since their children also tend to neglect them.

In an aging society where elders are less informed and lonely, the government should enhance support and care for the elderly and warn them against scams, said Wu.