Scammers Pray on Desperate Chinese Jobseekers
In a heartbreaking incident, a 19-year-old intellectually disabled man from Wuhan, China, was deceived by scammers into undergoing breast augmentation surgery, highlighting the vulnerability of young jobseekers in a struggling economy. Believing that the procedure would boost his chances to earn money through livestreaming, the teenager was urged to take a 30,000 yuan loan to fund the surgery. Fortunately, the boy's mother was able to have the loan canceled with the aid of a TV station and legal support, although the surgery had already taken place.
The case has ignited outrage on social media, with posts capturing the event drawing in excess of 27 million views and over 2,600 comments decrying the lack of humanity in such scams.
Growing Job Scams Amid Economic Challenges
With China's economic downturn, scams such as fake job offers, deceptive advertising, and loan traps are on the rise. Officials have noted a growing targeting of students and recent graduates, as exemplified by the record-breaking 11.79 million students who graduated this year amidst economic turbulence.
President Xi Jinping has declared youth employment a priority, yet the nation's youth unemployment rate soared to an unprecedented 21.3% in June last year, leading to the cessation of the figure's publication. In reality, 33 million young people aged 16 to 24 are actively seeking work, placing tremendous pressure on the Chinese labor market.
Examples of Other Job Scams
Another notable scam involved a college student who was misled into signing a year-long contract for renting an electric bicycle. A scammer posing as a Meituan food delivery recruiter convinced the student that the rental was a job prerequisite. However, the student's earnings fell short of the false promises, leaving him struggling to afford the bicycle rental payments.
Rising Youth Involvement in Scams
Alarmingly, some young individuals are resorting to scams themselves, perhaps driven by despair over joblessness. Prosecutions for phone and internet scams among those under 18 surged by 68% in the first ten months of 2023. Even college graduates are reportedly joining scam operations, highlighting a troubling trend.
The Wuhan teenager's ordeal did not end with the initial surgery, as he had to endure a second operation to remove the implants, exacerbating his trauma. His mother's account of the lasting scars underscores the profound impact of such malfeasance.
