Old people in the countryside, easy prey for scams

Many elderly people have been tricked into buying drugs of unknown origin at high prices. Illustration photo: TRUNG THI

Donkey traps spread throughout the countryside

Recently, Ms. LTKC (Hoa Vinh Ward, Dong Hoa Town) returned to her hometown to visit her mother and was told by her mother that recently, a group of doctors organized a free trip to Nha Trang for a health check-up. At the clinic, they said that her mother's health was relatively stable, only fatty liver problem needed treatment, so they advised her to buy red pine essential oil capsules to use. "This medicine is very expensive, each box costs 1.7 million VND; drinking about 5 boxes will help," said Ms. C's mother.

Panicking, Ms. C shared with the reporter: “Hearing the story, I knew my mother had been tricked. But I also knew that no matter what she said, she would buy it. She asked for money and if I didn’t have it, she would borrow it. The proof is that my mother spent several million VND to buy bone and joint medicine; then bought a tiny rice drying tarp for 2 million VND, but after 1 month of use, it peeled off and had to be thrown away. She also bought several cartons of milk that I couldn’t find the name of online at an exorbitant price.”

After Ms. C's story, recently, in Hoa Quang Nam commune (Phu Hoa district), Ms. NTKT's mother was also tricked into joining a trip to Quy Nhon city (Binh Dinh) for a health check and bought many types of medicine. "My mother said that those who have a lot of money can buy a lot, those who have little money can buy a little, those who do not have the conditions will get a half-price discount to support the purchase. I was suspicious so I searched for information and found that I was indeed tricked, but even though I told her, my mother just kept quiet and did as she pleased. At this age, no matter what their children say, their parents will not listen," Ms. T said in frustration.

If each individual, family and community are vigilant, fraudsters will no longer have the opportunity to commit their crimes. The elderly, with the care and support of their relatives, can completely protect themselves from the sophisticated traps that lurk every day.
Lieutenant Colonel, PhD Dao Trung Hieu

Learning more about the “zero-cost” tour, Ms. C learned that the organization provided free transportation, meals, and health checks. At the destinations, the whole group received a general health check, blood pressure measurement, and quick blood sugar test. In particular, the staff correctly “diagnosed” the health problems that Ms. C’s mother was facing, such as being overweight and having joint pain, which made her trust the advice and products even more, so she was determined to buy them.

Family experts say that the number of elderly people in rural areas being scammed is increasing, with increasingly sophisticated and unpredictable tricks. The consequences of being scammed by the elderly are very serious, not only financially but also affecting their mental health and well-being.

Protect parents and grandparents from scams

In rural areas, children often work far away from their parents, so the elderly often have a trusting mentality towards strangers, especially when they are approached in the form of health care or promotional gratitude. This is fertile ground for scammers to approach with countless sophisticated tricks. This sad reality raises an urgent question: How can the elderly in rural areas be better protected from scams?

According to family experts, raising awareness and equipping the elderly with prevention skills is extremely important. In localities, senior club activities should be combined with communication and propaganda sessions on common fraud methods; instructing the elderly on how to handle fraud situations, and encouraging them to share any doubts with relatives before making decisions.

Mr. NNH, from Tay Hoa district, currently working in Ho Chi Minh City, shared: “My parents live alone at home, my siblings and I send money back for our parents to spend. Recently, I discovered that my parents spent hundreds of millions of dong buying many types of medicine online, but the more they took it, the weaker their health became, so they had to go to Ho Chi Minh City for treatment.”

On the Ethnic and Religious Newspaper, Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Dao Trung Hieu said that to prevent fraud, the elderly need to equip themselves with skills to identify and handle situations. In addition, family and community must play an important role in protecting the elderly from fraud. Children and grandchildren need to regularly call and visit to promptly detect unusual signs, and proactively explain to parents and grandparents about fraud tricks to raise vigilance.

Source: https://baophuyen.vn/xa-hoi/202506/nguoi-gia-o-que-moi-ngon-cho-nhung-chieu-tro-lua-dao-38e23db/