In recent years, there have been more and more cases of telegraphic fraud, and the amount of loss has been huge. Calculated in the first ten months of 2022, there will be more than 22,000 cases of fraud, a sharp increase of more than 40% compared with the approximately 15,000 cases in the same period of 2021, and the amount of fraud is as high as 39 billion.
Some victims not only lost their "coffin book", but also took on huge debts and were tracked down. Eventually, they had to sell their own buildings to pay off the debts.
Many victims were emotionally troubled after being deceived, and often blamed themselves: "It's useless if you don't die." Caritas Xiang Qingxuan said that among the help-seeking cases involving deception in the past six months, every 5 help-seekers One person is at risk of suicide. It is suggested that the relatives and friends of the victims should try their best to treat the victims with tolerance, acceptance and non-blaming attitude, and help them overcome difficulties.
Caritas Xiang Qingxuan Supervisor Cai Yongshi (right) and Crisis Counselor Li Kaiting (left).
During the period from April to November 2022, the Caritas Xiangqingxuan 18288 hotline received a total of 225 fraud-related requests, with an average of 28.1 cases per month, and an average of 1 case per day from July to November. The financial losses involved exceeded 118 million yuan, and the single largest loss amounted to 11 million yuan.
More than 70% of the victims have borrowed money, and 80% of the debts involve more than one bank or finance company. Some victims will eventually sell their own buildings to repay the debts, or even file for bankruptcy.
During the interview, Caritas Xiang Qingxuan supervisor Cai Yongshi and crisis counselor Li Kaixin pointed out that in the past year, they have contacted many victims of deception, and described that they are usually reluctant to reveal how they were deceived, and they often "buried it in their hearts". Reminiscing about events or looking at bank records makes emotions fluctuate.
The two pointed out that the victim was afraid that others would "laugh at him as stupid" and that others would not believe what he said, so it took more time for the victim to let go of his guard and tell the social worker or counselor his true thoughts.
Victims lose money due to being cheated, and are even chased after their debts. This will inevitably affect the relationship between family and friends. Therefore, they often feel ashamed, guilty and self-blame. They are naturally depressed and often blame themselves. It’s useless if you don’t die”, “It’s so stupid, how stupid would it be if you explain it?”, “Everyone is eh, why don’t you choose me?”, “I’m useless” and so on.
Among the cases in the past six months, 20% of the cases were assessed by social workers to be at risk of suicide, that is, 1 out of every 5 help-seekers was at risk of suicide, and some of them had self-harming behaviors, so they needed to call the police and call an ambulance.
Caritas Xiang Qingxuan held a press conference to support victims of deception last year.
Cai Yongshi and Li Kaixin continued to point out that when victims call the hotline for help, their emotions are sometimes unstable. Social workers and counselors will also pay more attention, and first understand their experiences of being deceived and affirm their feelings. The organization will use tolerance, acceptance and non-criticism attitude and provide listening space, "because a lot of times when he (the victim) speaks out, he has been criticized by the (family) family."
The two explained that the reason why family members or friends scolded the victim was to some extent because of their worthlessness and heartache.
Chinese families are less adept at expressing emotions, so that such feelings often turn into anger and accusations, causing victims to suffer secondary injuries.
Some relatives and friends worry that the victim will be deceived again, and even use tough measures to control his life, such as preventing him from using social platforms or regulating his funds, which will make it difficult for the two parties to build mutual trust.
After a fraud case occurs, it is difficult for the family members to fully tolerate, accept and not criticize the victim. In particular, the relatives and friends in some cases have also been harassed by number tracking companies and phone calls, so it is difficult to deal with the matter calmly.
However, the two emphasized that the support of relatives and friends is very important. Many victims' emotions can be calmed down mainly because of the understanding of those around them.
When relatives and friends accept the reality of the victim's misfortune and give them care, they can gain strength and even redefine the misfortune, making him know that it was not his fault that he was deceived.
At present
, the Caritas Xiangqingxuan 18288 hotline
can provide victims with instant consultation on the direction of debt handling and relief of emotional distress, assisting in overcoming the debt crisis, and obliging lawyers to study how to deal with debts, including debt relief, debt restructuring or bankruptcy, etc. .
If the victim needs long-term family relationship counseling, the agency can also refer the victim to other social welfare agencies.
The physical and mental reactions of the victim after being cheated:
Emotional aspects: shock, shame, anger, helplessness, despair, guilt, sadness, depression and anxiety
Thoughtful aspects: inability to concentrate, rethinking the process of being deceived, catastrophic thoughts, questioning and scolding
Physiological aspects: insomnia, loss of appetite, hand tremors Behavioral aspects:
self
-isolation, loss of trust in others, compulsive repetitive behaviors, self-harm, suicide
Helpline for victims of deception (handled by professional social workers):
Caritas Xiangqingxuan Hotline: 18288
Wealth Stress Counseling Hotline: 3161 0102
The 90-year-old mother-in-law was cheated into the coffin, and Ben committed suicide. She was cheated by a phone. The victim confessed: Stop saying the victim is stupid. In 2022, the scam involved 3.9 billion yuan.
What agencies can victims of deception turn to for emotional distress?
Victims of the scam can call Caritas Qingxuan hotline: 18288 for help, for more information, please click...
How do victims of deception react physically and mentally?
After being deceived, citizens will have negative reactions in various aspects of thinking and physiology, including shame, anger, helplessness, guilt, etc., and even suicidal thoughts. Relatives and friends should not be harsh and seek help as soon as possible. For more information, please click .. ....
