Thanks for posting this, I love a good scam exposé! The Chinese cultural POV differentiates this one from others I've read. Lowlifes have been separating unsuspecting, well-intentioned folk from their money for as long as there's been money to take. Unfortunately the digital age has lowered the barrier to entry, bringing marks and swindlers into closer proximity than ever, with much less personal risk for the crooks. Phone scams like this one can be carried out over anonymous VOIP connections at next to zero cost from half a world away, with almost no chance of consequence for the perpetrator. It's like shooting fish in a barrel: Blast your initial contact message to enough possible victims and someone is bound to fall for it. It's a numbers game.

Like it or not, we're all living at least partially in cyberspace. We're all potential victims. It's critical that we recognize it as a hostile environment and adopt a skeptical, defensive posture at all times. I think the younger generations are better acculturated to that, which is why the elderly are so often preyed upon. Even so, the threat landscape is constantly evolving and no one's immune to a well-crafted scam. I'd encourage anyone to brush up on the latest tactics and stay vigilant; the laughable Nigerian Prince schemes I first encountered online have evolved into far more sophisticated and subtle attacks in recent years. If you don't know what to look out for, you could be the next Laolao.