On November 3, 2024, in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, an elderly person received a phone call claiming that there was a problem with their medical insurance card. The elderly person believed it to be true and, under the guidance of the caller, was deceived into giving away 860,000 RMB. This news made it to the top of the trending searches on Baidu on November 3.
According to reports from several mainland Chinese media outlets, Mr. Li, who resides in Zhengzhou City, received a call on October 30 from someone claiming to be from the medical insurance office. The caller informed Mr. Li that his medical insurance card was being illegally used.
Concerned about the status of his medical insurance due to having a chronic illness, Mr. Li, following the caller’s instructions, cooperated in a video call and, after about half an hour on the call, transferred 970,000 RMB to the caller’s account. The last transaction of 110,000 RMB was intercepted, but 860,000 RMB was still swindled.
A video circulating online shows Mr. Li visibly upset after the incident, repeatedly slapping himself while crying and saying, “I’m such a fool.” He also revealed, “The caller even accused me of being involved in a money laundering case and taking bribes of over 2 million RMB.”
Currently, the suspect behind the crime has been identified, and the case is under investigation.
Following the release of this news, it has garnered significant attention from internet users, with many condemning the scammers.
Netizen “Yang Dajun vlog” commented, “This scammer has no bottom line, even swindling retirement funds.”
Many netizens empathize with the emotions of the elderly person who was deceived.
A netizen from Luoyang, Henan, “Shivering in the Cold Wind,” said, “I wouldn’t be able to accept being swindled out of so much money.”
Another netizen from Anhui, “Starry Sky Searching for You,” expressed, “It’s so pitiful, I would feel even worse if I were swindled that much.”
There were also netizens offering words of comfort to the elderly victim, advising them to take care of their health.
A netizen from Luoyang, “Xiaoli Helping Chen Xiaoli,” said, “Since it has happened, I hope the elderly can be positive and face it bravely.”
Another user, “Kitty’s Dad,” added, “They must stay strong and prioritize their health.”
Netizen “abcwfd007” went on to question, “Who is providing the contact numbers for these telecommunications scams? Mobile phones have call blocking features, even for all unknown numbers. How many calls do retired elderly people even need to answer?”