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An elderly man in China, who was unknowingly caught up in an investment scam, attempted to mail two small gold bars to fraudsters by hiding them inside a jar of chilli sauce
The unusual plan was foiled after a persistent police officer intervened.
According to South China Morning Post, the incident unfolded recently in the Jinnan District of Tianjin, northern China.
Police officer Li Ruifang of the Shuanglin Police Station received an alert that a senior man, surnamed Zhao, was potentially being targeted by scammers. She quickly located him and conducted an interview.
Zhao initially refused to cooperate, insisting, "I was not scammed. I was just casually chatting with a friend about stocks"
Officer Li then spoke to him as a fellow 'investor', explaining the correct procedures for legal investments and detailing common fraud techniques. After nearly two hours of conversation, Zhao finally confessed.
Zhao admitted that he found an ad for "cash cow stock tips" on a video platform and downloaded a trading app after scanning a QR code. Following the "insiders'" instructions, he was tricked into buying gold and mailing it out to be 'cashed in'.
When first asked about the package's contents, Zhao claimed it was "food for a friend". He eventually confessed to hiding two 30g gold bars inside a jar of chilli sauce as the scammer had instructed.
Officer Li then urged him to try and withdraw his money from the app, saying, "If you still do not believe it is a scam, try withdrawing your money from the app!"
Zhao's repeated failures to withdraw the funds made him realise he had been conned.
The police successfully contacted the mailing company for an emergency interception, and the package, containing the two gold bars, was retrieved.
The police returned the gold to Zhao and helped him recover 34,000 yuan (RM19,800).
