China Jiangsu Net, February 8 - Deceptive scams have always been rampant, and it's almost impossible for common people to guard against them. Look at this: with the new year bringing new sights, four scammers played a game of "Infernal Affairs," causing an unfortunate old woman to hand over thousands of yuan.
**Real or Fake Herbs: Gradually Falling into the Scam**
At around 9 a.m. on February 6, Grandma Chen happily came out of the Shifu Neighborhood Market in Xinbei District after buying groceries, planning to go home and celebrate the Lantern Festival. As she walked out of the south gate of the market, she saw a short-haired woman who seemed to have met someone familiar. "Can you help me check if this 'Flower Butterfly' is real?" The short-haired woman stopped the "just-in-time" long-haired woman. With counterfeit drugs being so prevalent these days, examples of scammers selling fake medicine are not uncommon. Hearing this, the elderly woman became curious and approached to find out more. The long-haired woman pretended to be knowledgeable, affirming the authenticity of the drug and asking its price. The short-haired woman told her it was 18 yuan per liang (a unit of weight) and where she had bought it. "Too expensive! I know that person; I'll negotiate a better price for you!" The long-haired woman exclaimed. After saying that, the two immediately turned around and headed upstairs to the second floor of the Shifu Neighborhood Market. Seeing this, Grandma Chen thought the excitement was just beginning, so she followed to see what would happen next.
**Real or Fake Doctor: Becoming Uncertain**
When the three reached the bridge on the second floor of the Shifu Neighborhood Market, they saw a female drug vendor setting up a stall. After some bargaining, the long-haired woman successfully negotiated the price down from 18 yuan per liang to 10 yuan per liang. At the end, the long-haired woman praised the "Flower Butterfly's" extraordinary ability to treat eye diseases.
Grandma Chen thought about it: good efficacy, low price—why not buy some for her husband suffering from cerebral thrombosis? So, Grandma Chen asked the drug vendor if she had Sanqi, a traditional Chinese herb. The drug vendor said she didn't have any Sanqi. "Sanqi doesn't work as well as 'Fruit Flower'!" When the elderly woman showed disappointment, the seemingly professional long-haired woman recommended, "Have you tried 'Fruit Flower'? It can permanently remove garbage from your blood."
What happened next is predictable. The drug vendor naturally had this "Fruit Flower," but it wasn't cheap—136 yuan each! Grandma Chen was hesitant, so the long-haired woman introduced herself, claiming she was Dr. Chen Ying from Changzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, and strongly promoted the "Fruit Flower," saying this medicinal material was only produced in Yunnan Kunming, rarely seen on the market, and even hard to obtain in hospital pharmacies.
While Grandma Chen hesitated, another red-clothed woman walked out of a nearby supermarket called "LeShang" and greeted Dr. Chen, saying, "Dr. Chen, what a coincidence! What are you doing here?" The self-proclaimed Dr. Chen chatted with her about buying "Fruit Flower." The red-clothed woman exclaimed how good the "Fruit Flower" was, claiming her illness was cured by eating the "Fruit Flower" recommended by Dr. Chen. This prompted action from the short-haired woman, who immediately took out cash to buy the "Fruit Flower." Through negotiation between Dr. Chen and the familiar drug vendor, the short-haired woman bought 25 "Fruit Flowers" at 100 yuan each.
**Real or Fake Enthusiasm: Completely Duped**
Grandma Chen still had some caution and immediately questioned the short-haired woman, asking where she got so much cash to buy medicine. The short-haired woman defended herself, saying she was a businesswoman who had just collected money outside, so she had cash on hand. Faced with a doctor from a central hospital, a businesswoman who personally spent several thousand yuan on medicine, a patient who was cured by eating "Fruit Flower," and a familiar drug vendor known to the doctor, Grandma Chen no longer had any doubts. Encouraged by the four people, she decided to buy 50 "Fruit Flowers." However, at 100 yuan each, the price was still quite high. The elderly woman worried that she hadn't brought enough money while grocery shopping and invited the drug vendor to go home with her to get the money. The drug vendor, a professional in her field, refused to go home with the elderly woman. The short-haired woman then acted as the good guy, offering to pay 5,000 yuan for the medicine upfront and going home with the elderly woman to collect the money.
Thus, one link after another in the scam succeeded. Afraid of being exposed by a girl's friend, the scammers insisted on not showing their faces. By the time Grandma Chen's family discovered the scam and realized the trick, the scammers were already long gone. Grandma Chen had no choice but to report the case to the Sanjing Police Station, which has now opened an investigation. (By Xi Jingwen and Yang Lei)