SC.jpg (Photo : Reuters)
The China National Committee on Aging (CNCA) and the Ministry of Public Security published 150,000 fraud-prevention guidelines for the elderly on Wednesday.
More than 200 million Chinese citizens over the age of 60 were registered in 2013 and over half of this population live by themselves.
The guidelines consist of six key tips for the elderly to avoid fraud, alongside 40 examples that include Internet fraud and telecommunications scams, among other cases. The government has also provided lifestyle advice on topics such as greed, vanity, awareness, friendship and openness.
Wu Yushao of the CNCA informed the media that the guidelines have been published due to the lower sense of caution that exists among the elderly population, the rapidly changing scam landscape, and the lack of care that has been observed within families in regard to the most senior members.
The larger metropolitan locations are of particular concern, as the data shows that more than 70 percent of senior citizens in these areas live in situations without others to provide support. Experience and observation indicates that the elderly in China typically seek out connections due to a deep sense of loneliness and isolation--scammers are able to thrive in such environments.
The issue of safety for the elderly is a foremost concern for the Chinese authorities, as their own research shows that the number of citizens aged over 60 will rise to 487 million by 2053.
With an anticipated elderly population of nearly half a billion people in just under 40 years, one quarter of the world's senior citizens will reside in China at that time.
