A Chinese mother appeared on television seeking justice for her 19-year-old son, who has an intellectual disability, after Scammers tricked him into undergoing breast augmentation surgery under the false promise of job opportunities.
The clinic in Wuhan convinced him that the procedure would help him attract followers through livestreaming and even persuaded him to take out a 30,000 yuan ($4,180) loan for the surgery, his mother reported.
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The incident has sparked outrage online, with over 27 million views and thousands of comments condemning the scammers. Although the loan was eventually canceled with the help of the TV station and lawyers, the surgery had already been performed.
As China’s economy struggles, scams related to fake jobs, misleading advertisements, and loan traps are increasing. This surge in fraud targets students and recent graduates, amid a record 11.79 million graduates this summer. The job crisis among youth poses a challenge for the Communist Party, with President Xi Jinping emphasizing the importance of improving employment prospects for young people.
Deceptive Assurances
Youth unemployment reached a record 21.3% in June of the previous year, leading China to suspend the publication of this key statistic and exclude currently enrolled students from the count. While comprehensive tracking of job seekers aged 16 to 24 is challenging, the National Bureau of Statistics reported that 33 million individuals in this age group were looking for work.
Liu Aihua, a spokesperson for the bureau, acknowledged ongoing employment pressures at a recent press conference, noting a rise in China’s overall jobless rate to a four-month high in July. Specific groups continue to struggle with finding employment.
Last month, a college student was deceived into signing a year-long contract for an electric bicycle by someone posing as a recruiter for the food delivery service Meituan. The student later found that their earnings were far less than promised, and they struggled to pay the rental fees.
The difficult job market has led some students to become scammers themselves, with a 68% increase in the prosecution of minors for phone and internet scams in the first ten months of 2023. Additionally, there has been a rise in the involvement of highly educated young graduates in such criminal activities.
The Wuhan teenager’s situation was further exacerbated by having to undergo a second surgery to remove the breast implants, causing his mother additional distress.
