Weekend Long Read: How Fake Antique Livestreams Prey on China’s Elderly

Kou Shoule, a senior citizen in Shandong province, has fallen victim to a livestream shopping scam involving fake antiques, losing nearly 300,000 yuan ($42,000) since March. [para. 1] His daughter, Kou Xiaoxia, has unsuccessfully attempted to dissuade him as he attributes potential wealth to these purchases and views her interventions negatively. [para. 2] The scam preys on middle-aged and senior Chinese netizens, selling counterfeit items like commemorative coins and artwork via livestreams that include dramatic narratives and historical claims, often promising high returns and buyback guarantees. [para. 3][para. 5][para. 6]

Increased investigations in recent months have led to several arrests, revealing the scheme's severity. [para. 4] Kou's relationship with her father has suffered, with him illegally accumulating items in hopes of wealth. [para. 2][para. 7] Retrieving the lost money demands substantial evidence for a legitimate complaint, requiring the victim's cooperation. [para. 8] Kou has joined a support group on WeChat where similar victimized families share advice and updates. [para. 9]

Scammers continue to create new accounts to bypass being caught, drawing criticism from legal experts who urge livestream platforms to enhance regulations. [para. 10]

Kou only became aware of her father's scam involvement when he repeatedly asked for money under false pretenses. Investigation revealed his engagement with a manipulative livestream host on Kuaishou, promising significant profits from buying back items. [para. 13] Data from QuestMobile shows that Kuaishou, favored by older users, recorded high engagement figures in 2023, leading to dramatic livestreams engaging in selling high-value "collectibles" without substantial product introduction. [para. 15]

Livestreams often follow plotted dramatics involving two groups fighting over a precious artifact, claiming future high returns on investments, a technique leveraging dramatic narratives and fake personas. [para. 21] Scammers now avoid using censored terms like "buyback," opting instead for suggestive phrasing to manipulate seniors. [para. 23] A sole see-through caption reading "situational enactment, for entertainment purposes only" helps avoid scrutiny but is hard for senior netizens to notice. [para. 22]

Kou's father, fully convinced by hosts' narratives, refused to file a police complaint, complicating the return of counterfeit items; Kou returned three items and retrieved 9,000 yuan. [para. 28] The secrecy and isolation tactics employed by these scammers create family discord, with Kou’s father expressing desire to sever their relationship. [para. 30] Zhao, another victim's daughter, found her mother hiding suspicious collectibles and experienced intense familial strife after confronting her about the scam. [para. 33][para. 34] Victims often remain loyal to hosts, even threatening drastic actions to avert police involvement. [para. 35]

Frustrated family members have united against livestream scammers on platforms like Kuaishou, Douyin, and WeChat, revealing patterns of widespread elderly defrauding amounting to millions of yuan. [para. 37] Legal expert Wei Wei suggests false advertising and unfulfilled promises typify these frauds, holding the perpetrators civilly liable. [para. 38] Law enforcement has started acting against these schemes, detaining culprits like a group in Liaoning profiting over 280,000 yuan from counterfeit antiques sales using staged plots. [para. 42][para. 43]

Kuaishou, aware of the fraud reports, struggles to monitor fraudulent activities due to scammers' frequent account recreations using different IDs. [para. 45][para. 47] Efforts to file complaints and request refunds necessitate comprehensive evidence of transaction details, making it arduous for family members to intervene. [para. 49] Despite successful interventions often resulting in account bans, scam hosts rapidly continue their operations via new linked accounts. [para. 51] Platforms face criticism for inadequate supervision, with suggestions to enforce stringent seller verification protocols and establish blacklists to mitigate recurring scams. [para. 55][para. 57]

Concerned family members persist in filing complaints, striving to curb hosts' accounts while grappling with tenuous familial relationships. [para. 60] Kou and Zhao now manage their interactions daily, monitoring recent scam activities to protect their loved ones. [para. 61][para. 62]