China grandma drains life savings on US$450,000 beauty fraud before daughter discovers it

A 75-year-old woman from Shanghai spent three million yuan (US$450,000) on beauty treatments in a salon, completely depleting her retirement savings before her daughter uncovered the situation.The elderly woman’s daughter recently sought assistance from a Shanghai television programme after discovering that her mother had exhausted all her savings on beauty services.The woman, surnamed Yu, had spent her savings at a branch of Yongqi Beauty and Hairdressing Company, as well as a medical beauty institution associated with Yongqi, dating back to 2016.Yu revealed that the beauty treatments she bought included skin tightening procedures, thread lifting, and meridian massage.Billing details obtained by Yu’s daughter from the two establishments indicated that Yu also underwent eyebrow and lip tattooing procedures at the salon.What raised concerns was the fact that the charges for these services were 10 to 20 times higher than the market rates. For example, a multi-procedure lip tattooing session was priced at 39,800 yuan (US$6,000).Despite losing her life savings, the victim did not sue. The salon continues to operate with no signs of an official investigation or suspension. Photo: knewsThe bill also indicated that Yu had repeated the same procedure multiple times, which in the case of tattooing, is unnecessary.Yu stated that she did not pay attention to the costs because she believed she was affluent.The savings she had stemmed from the sale of her home. By the time her daughter discovered the situation, she could no longer afford rent for a flat and had to sell her jewellery.Staff at the Yongqi store had referred her to a medical beauty clinic named Rouyi, which charged her 300,000 yuan (US$45,000) for an “intimate care” procedure.Although Yu paid, she did not undergo the procedure, which the clinic later substituted with other skincare treatments.Rouyi’s invoices included items such as “happiness chair” and “space capsule,” which Yu could not explain.Further ReadingThe SCMP attempted to contact Rouyi for comment, but the numbers listed on Rouyi’s invoices were non-functional.Yu’s daughter discovered that the clinic had billed Yu through Yongqi’s account.A Yongqi staff member insisted that it was Yu who requested the frequent procedures due to her “appearance anxiety.”They also claimed that all prices were clearly marked, and by making payments, Yu accepted their pricing.While the elderly have every right to pursue beauty, their desires must not be exploited by unscrupulous businesses. Photo: ShutterstockThe store issued a partial refund of Yu’s advance payment as a compromise.The SCMP also reached out to the store’s management for further comments, but they stated that the case was resolved and declined to provide additional details.Yu did not pursue legal action. The Yongqi store continues to operate without any signs of official investigation or suspension.While the store used “clearly marked prices” as a defence, China’s Provisions on Clear Price Marketing and Prohibition of Price Fraud also mandate that business operators uphold principles of transparency, fairness, and honesty.“Elderly individuals have the same right to pursue beauty, but their desires should not be exploited by unscrupulous businesses,” one observer remarked.Another added: “Beauty shops rely on customers’ additional spending to survive. It’s crucial to be wary of their tactics.”