Scammers Target Young Chinese Seeking Jobs in Difficult Economy – Reuters

By Ethan Wang and Ryan Woo

BEIJING – A Chinese mother took to television in search of justice for her intellectually disabled 19-year-old son, who was misled by scammers into undergoing breast augmentation surgery in a situation that has caused public outrage.

The teenager, seeking employment at a cosmetic surgery clinic in Wuhan, was told that the procedure would increase his earning potential by attracting followers through livestreaming. His mother disclosed that the clinic also persuaded him to borrow 30,000 yuan (approximately $4,180) to finance the surgery.

Comments on the incident on China’s social media platform, Weibo, have garnered significant attention, with one user stating, "For the sake of money, one can give up one’s humanity," while another lamented, "Worse than beasts!"

While the mother succeeded in having the loan annulled with the assistance of the television station and legal professionals, the breast surgery had already taken place.

With the economy struggling, scams involving false job opportunities, deceptive advertising, and predatory loans are on the rise in China. Officials noted last year that criminals are increasingly targeting students and recent graduates.

This summer, a record 11.79 million students graduated, as the nation faces multiple economic challenges, including a trade conflict, the repercussions of COVID-19, and a prolonged property crisis, all contributing to hesitant consumer spending. Rising youth unemployment poses a significant challenge to the Communist Party’s economic leadership, which has stressed the importance of job creation.

The youth unemployment rate reached a record 21.3% in June of last year, leading to the cessation of the public release of this crucial benchmark, specifically excluding currently enrolled students. It is difficult to track the number of job seekers aged 16 to 24, but a spokesperson from the National Bureau of Statistics reported that roughly 33 million individuals in this age group were looking for work.

"The pressure on employment still exists," stated Liu Aihua, a representative from the statistics bureau, following data that indicated an increase in the overall unemployment rate in July.

Another scam that surfaced last month involved a college student who, while seeking a part-time food delivery job, unwittingly signed a year-long contract to rent an electric bicycle from a shop disguised as a recruiter for a popular delivery service. A few weeks later, the student discovered that his earnings were far less than the "tens of thousands" promised and struggled to afford the monthly rental fee.

"It’s hard enough to find a job, and now we need to be careful about scams too," remarked one user on Weibo.

Authorities have indicated that the increasingly bleak job outlook has driven some students to engage in scamming themselves. Reports show a considerable rise in the number of individuals under 18 prosecuted for phone and internet scams, with a marked increase in young graduates with advanced degrees joining these criminal groups.

The trauma for the Wuhan teenager was further exacerbated by the need for a second surgical procedure to remove the breast implants, as shared by his mother on television. "It pains me to see the two scars under my son’s chest," she expressed.