[Sportschosun, Jang Jong-ho] A health center in China has been caught deceiving elderly customers by using a soy sauce solution to cleanse their intestines and telling them that "toxins are being expelled from the body."
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Beijing, China police recently said they had arrested more than 30 people on suspicion of carrying out an organized health scam targeting senior citizens. Investigators found that the health center they ran had cheated more than 100 elderly people out of a total of 10 million yuan, or about 2.3 billion won.
The scam came to light after Lee, a woman in her 60s, was reported by her family. They contacted police after learning that she had spent about 700,000 yuan, or roughly 160 million won, at the center for so-called treatment.
Lee reportedly kept buying various health programs and treatments, each costing tens of thousands of yuan. When she eventually ran out of money and tried to stop, staff allegedly urged her to keep paying, saying, "What good is money if the illness is not cured?" They even suggested she pawn her gold bracelet to cover the cost.
Investigators said Lee first visited the center because of a discounted foot massage voucher worth 38 yuan, or about 8,600 won. Staff were unusually kind to elderly customers and even remembered their birthdays, creating the impression that they cared more than their own families did.
Police said the suspects mainly targeted older adults who lived alone and had financial means, as well as seniors who felt emotionally lonely even if they had family.
According to the investigation, staff visited senior welfare facilities and other places where older people often gathered to offer free health consultations. People introduced as "experts" then appeared and claimed the victims had serious health problems and needed long-term special treatment.
To persuade the victims, they reportedly mixed soy sauce into the liquid used during colon cleansing procedures. After the treatment, they showed the black liquid and claimed it was proof that "toxins had come out of the body," heightening the seniors' anxiety.
Police later confirmed that the black substance was not toxins at all, but soy sauce that staff had added in advance.
Investigators said the group had earned more than 30 million yuan, or about 6.8 billion won, from the scheme.
Some victims were found to have spent more than 2 million yuan, or about 450 million won, on what was described as treatment.
Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
