In Zhengzhou, an elderly couple spent six years collecting 60,000 RMB from scrap collection, then lost it all purchasing a ‘miracle’ bathroom mattress promoted as curing all diseases. Market regulators have ordered the shop closed.

Social Context

Elder fraud targeting retirees is rampant in China, exploiting trust in traditional remedies and information asymmetry. The ‘Senior Protection Regulation’ (2023) mandates stricter advertising review for health-related products and empowers local market supervision bureaus to impose immediate suspension for unsubstantiated claims like ‘cures all diseases’.

Safety Tip

Verify health product claims via the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) database; consult family or community elder centers before major purchases.