At a press briefing on the 12th, the Ministry of Public Security said frauds
targeting the elderly fall into three high-frequency types. First,
pension-investment schemes that lure seniors with supposedly guaranteed
high-yield wealth products, collectibles or pre-IPO shares, senior apartments,
or retirement/healthcare project investments. Second, health-product scams using
free clinics or health talks to exaggerate efficacy or fabricate illnesses to
sell overpriced supplements and therapy devices. Third, impersonation scams
where callers pose as police, prosecutors, medical-insurance, social-security or
civil‑affairs staff — alleging the elder is implicated in a case, that insurance
is frozen, or there are pension-subsidy issues — to request cooperation and
induce transfers to “verify” funds; or impersonate relatives to claim
emergencies or request urgent transfers.
