A survey on why elderly people believe in "fake one eye" things in


health products

  ● In recent years, more and more elderly people pay attention to health preservation and health care, and the situation of inducing and deceiving the elderly to buy health care products has occurred frequently, which may lead to the financial damage of the elderly, and seriously endanger the life and health of the elderly, and also seriously affect the elderly. family harmony

  ● Elderly people are prone to fall into health care product scams. On the one hand, many elderly people are lonely in their hearts due to the lack of children to accompany them. deceived

  ● To crack down on the phenomenon of "dead ageing" of health products, it is necessary to coordinate and cooperate with market supervision, public security and relevant departments at all levels, establish and improve a joint supervision mechanism, comprehensively use Internet technology and big data means, and improve the efficiency of health food safety supervision

  □ Zhang Shoukun, a trainee reporter of this newspaper

  □ Our reporter Zhao Li

  "Yam beef bone marrow powder protein solid drink", "Nattokinase red yeast rice", "Precious selenium cordyceps extract powder"... In the home of the 83-year-old Gao in Suzhou, Anhui Province, various brands and types of health care products are piled up.

Uncle Gao's daughter, Ms. Gao, told the "Rule of Law Daily" reporter: "This is only a small portion, some of which have already been eaten. The old couple worked hard to save 300,000 yuan in their lives, and now they all buy health care products. There is no pension left."

  "What impressed me the most was the 'health vinegar' that the old man bought. It cost 300 yuan a bottle and a box of 12 bottles. He bought 5 boxes at once, and it's been 4 years before I finished it. I took it and tasted it, and it tasted the same as usual at home. It doesn't matter if you are jealous." Ms. Gao said that her family had not persuaded and scolded the salesperson who came to the door, but her father didn't listen at all, and he was so angry that he had no choice but to let him go.

  Similar experiences have been experienced by many families.

In recent years, with the increasing number of elderly people in my country and the gradual improvement of living standards, more and more elderly people pay attention to health care and health care, and the health care product market is booming.

At the same time, door-to-door sales, organizing activities, false propaganda and exaggerating the efficacy of health care products, and inducing and deceiving the elderly to buy health care products have occurred frequently, which may lead to financial damage to the elderly, and seriously endanger the life and health of the elderly. family harmony between the elderly and their children.

  Why does the "pit old" of health care products succeed so many times?

How to effectively remedy this problem?

In this regard, the reporter conducted an investigation and interview.

  Scams target seniors

  Believe it or not

  In Ms. Gao's view, these "liars" are not very clever. They are handing out flyers to the elderly passing by on the street, asking them to listen to lectures, and giving them some rice, noodles and oil during the New Year and festivals. It's a "fake at a glance" thing, "but the old man is convinced."

  Ms. Gao told reporters that during the epidemic prevention and control period, salespeople also established social groups, where health lectures were often held to teach so-called health secrets and common sense, but in fact they were all for selling various health care products.

  The reporter tried to join these social groups, but the other party was very vigilant and failed to pass.

Later, I learned that only those who have purchased health care products recommended by the elderly can pass the review and enter the group.

  "I originally wanted to join the group to inquire, but I couldn't. My father doesn't let me read the news in the group now, and he avoided our children when he listened to lectures." Ms. Gao said that her father was almost "brainwashed". When encountering other elderly people who are struggling with whether to buy health care products, he will "talk by example", and even be promoted by the sales staff as a successful case to others.

  Ms. Gao decided to confront the salespeople face to face and "debunk" them.

Once, she blocked the door-to-door salesman, "I'll call them unscrupulous. If you were your own parents, would you cheat on them like this? I'll call the police again."

As a result, Uncle Gao immediately became anxious, and immediately refuted his daughter: "I didn't spend a penny on you. I bought health care products for good health. What qualifications do you have to take care of me?"

  "My father hasn't been sick much in the past seven or eight years, because he has good living habits. He insists on exercising every day and goes to the hospital for regular check-ups. But my father attributes this to eating those health supplements, insisting that 'I want to eat it or not. The health care products have been hospitalized for a long time." Ms. Gao said helplessly, her family really had nothing to do about it.

  Through first-line interviews and sorting out public reports, the reporter found that criminals have used various methods such as free physiotherapy, gifts, health lectures, “experts” for consultations, refunds of dividends, free physical examinations, and free travel to get closer to the elderly and sell health care to the elderly. These health products are not only expensive, but also have quality problems such as illegally adding hormones.

  "In addition to health lectures, telemarketing of health products is also a common 'deceitful' swindle. The liar uses a set of 'talk skills' and multiple telephones, and does not use virtual numbers to make sales calls to all parts of the country. In their mouths, These health care products are omnipotent, and many elderly people are deceived." said Yang Junnan, a policeman from the Taogou Police Station of the Yongqiao Branch of the Suzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau.

  For example, he gave an example. One day, Uncle Cao in his jurisdiction received a sales call. The other party claimed to be a health care expert, saying that the recommended health care products could treat Uncle Cao's related diseases, and a course of treatment was effective.

Uncle Cao bought it and it didn't work. When he called to ask questions, he was fooled into buying a course of treatment, but it still didn't work. The other party recommended other health care products.

  Do not report problems

  Not cooperating with the investigation

  Why do health products "pit old" behavior often occur?

Some salespeople have only met the old man a few times, and some have never met, but they are convinced by the old man?

  According to Ren Chao, a professor at the School of Economics and Law of East China University of Political Science and Law, there are two main reasons why the elderly are prone to falling into health care product scams: many elderly people are lonely because of lack of children to accompany them, and it is difficult for them to withstand the emotional cards played by salesmen; It is difficult to identify the "fishing" method of salespeople. Health care product scams are usually carried out in the form of giving health lectures and gifts, gradually allowing the elderly to let go of their psychological precautions and build up a sense of trust. Make it difficult for the elderly to distinguish the authenticity and then buy the product.

  "Because of the lack of targeted popular science articles, or the lack of publicity and influence, and the lack of basic knowledge of relevant majors for the elderly, it is easy to be attracted by the exaggerated publicity or free experience of health care product manufacturers. It worked." Ren Chao said.

  The "Research on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests of the Elderly in my country" released by the Beijing Sunshine Consumer Big Data Research Institute shows that in recent years, health care product scammers have been repeatedly attacked, which is related to the lax market supervision and social supervision.

The day-to-day supervision of health food by the supervisory department mainly includes on-site inspection, verification and ticket inspection, sampling inspection, and acceptance of reports from the masses. The supervision methods are relatively simple and the supervision is not enough.

At the same time, the development of my country's health food industry associations is not yet mature, and it is difficult to promote the establishment of industry self-discipline.

  Chen Yinjiang, deputy secretary-general of the Consumer Law Research Association of the China Law Society, said that from the complaints and reports received by relevant departments, the elderly generally do not take the initiative to report problems when they encounter problems, and most of them complain only after their children or family members find out.

Some elderly people are unwilling to cooperate with relevant departments in investigations, which makes it difficult to investigate and punish illegal businesses.

In addition, some unscrupulous businesses have adopted staggered working hours and constantly changing locations to carry out illegal business activities for the elderly, which has also increased the difficulty of governance of health care products.

  According to Guo Xiaoming, a lawyer from Shanghai Zhonglian (Chengdu) Law Firm, it is very difficult to protect rights after the "pooring" behavior of health products.

On the one hand, some elderly people have a weak legal awareness, and some even speak good words for the liar after being deceived, and they do not cooperate in the process of investigation and evidence collection; .

  According to public reports, there has also been such a case: in the process of rights protection, law enforcement officers organized mediation, and finally facilitated the return and repayment, but the salesperson played the emotional card, by sending "care" to the elderly, "painful management" “Difficulties” and other means, allowing the elderly to ask law enforcement officers to change the execution or give up their rights protection behind the back of their families.

  Execution Links Strong Strike

  multi-pronged governance

  Relevant departments are taking action to rectify the "old pit" problem of health care products.

  Recently, the national special action deployment meeting to crack down on pension fraud was held.

The meeting emphasized that it is necessary to focus on rectification of fraudulent apps for the elderly, illegal elderly care service institutions, "health care products" involving the elderly, and illegal fundraising, and to strengthen hierarchical and classified disposal to ensure that rectification is in place; to improve industry supervision mechanisms, executions. Linkage mechanisms, improve relevant laws and policies, and provide a solid legal guarantee for standardizing the development of the industry and eradicating the soil of pension-related fraud.

  On December 31, 2021, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate jointly issued the "Interpretation on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Handling Criminal Cases Endangering Food Safety" (hereinafter referred to as the "Interpretation"). Provisions shall be made for the conviction and punishment of crimes such as food fraud against the elderly, and the criminal law network for punishing crimes endangering food safety in accordance with the law shall be further organized.

  The relevant person in charge of the Criminal Division I of the Supreme People's Court said that in recent years, cases of health care products "pitting the old" have occurred frequently, the nature of the crime is bad, and the people have expressed strong reactions.

The "Interpretation" clearly stipulates that if such crimes are committed and meet the provisions of the crime of fraud, they shall be convicted and punished in accordance with the crime of fraud.

If the food for sale is unqualified and at the same time constitutes the crime of producing or selling fake and shoddy products, it shall be convicted and punished according to the crime with heavier punishment.

  In response to the difficulty in the supervision of health products, Chen Yinjiang believes that the effectiveness of supervision can be further improved by strengthening joint supervision and innovating supervision methods.

The crackdown on the phenomenon of "old pits" of health care products requires the coordination and cooperation of market supervision, public security and related departments at all levels. Therefore, it is necessary to further establish and improve a joint supervision mechanism, build an information-based and networked law enforcement supervision system among multiple departments, and at the same time integrate Use Internet technology and big data means to improve the efficiency of health food safety supervision and reduce the operating cost of the supervision system.

  "According to the Advertising Law, if consumers are deceived and misled by false advertisements and cause damage to their legitimate rights and interests when purchasing goods or receiving services, advertisers shall bear civil liability. If the advertiser or publisher cannot provide the advertiser's real name, address and Consumers can ask advertisers and publishers to compensate in advance. Consumers can also protect their rights in accordance with the Food Safety Law.” In Ren Chao’s view, the elderly and their families can use the power of consumer associations or other social organizations Carry out rights protection to avoid the situation of asymmetric power of scattered individuals in rights protection.

  Chen Yinjiang suggested that social co-governance is an important means to solve the problem of health care products being "old". News media should increase the supervision and exposure of health care products operating in violation of laws and regulations, and form a way to supervise and guide the integrity of health care product operators in the whole society. The public opinion orientation of law-abiding operation; the relevant departments should further unblock the channels for consumer rights protection, encourage and facilitate the elderly to complain and report in a timely manner when they encounter problems, and protect their rights in accordance with the law; the judicial organs should implement the requirements of the Civil Code on the punitive compensation system, and do not specifically Most consumers' legitimate rights and interests of food and drug violations and crimes are severely punished in accordance with the law, making them "so painful that they dare not commit it again."