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On Saturday, "Lust, Caution" movie star Tang Wei gave a warning to her fans to be on guard against telemarketing scams after she was reportedly victimized by one causing her to lose 210,000 yuan ($34,700) while working in Shanghai's Songjiang district.
On Sunday the Songjiang district police department confirmed that Tang had reported the incident to them, but that they had no other information to share with the media at that point. Tang, 34, started her career as a model before she rose to fame when she starred in the espionage thriller, "Lust, Caution" which was directed by Oscar-winning director Ang Lee. The movie earned Tang the Best New Actress title at the Venice Film Festival.
Telemarketing scams that target the rich and famous are a growing cause of concern in China. Last week, the Shanghai Public Safety Bureau stated that there has been a sharp 40 percent rise in the number of telemarketing complaints reported in 2013 compared to the past year. Expatriates make up 1 percent of those victimized by the scams. Perpetuators of these scams often pose as law enforcement officers who scare people and cause them to transfer money to "safety accounts."
Retirees and the elderly who are unfamiliar with new technology are often the victims; however, an increasing number of young and educated people are also becoming victims of the scams, according to the police.
According to authorities, many of these telemarketing scams are based outside of China, which makes it difficult for them to take necessary action. In December, Shanghai police together with the Cambodian police rounded up 21 people from mainland China and Taiwan who were accused of conning a mainland citizen of more than 20 million yuan.
