{
  "id": 7214383,
  "title": "China grandma drains life savings on US$450,000 beauty fraud before daughter discovers it",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/china-grandma-drains-life-savings-on-us-450-000-beauty-fraud-before",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-14T01:23:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3367377/china-grandma-drains-life-savings-us450000-beauty-fraud-daughter-discovers-it"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A 75-year-old woman from Shanghai, surnamed Yu, spent all her retirement savings of three million yuan (US$450,000) on beauty treatments at a salon called Yongqi Beauty and Hairdressing Company and a medical beauty clinic affiliated with it. Her daughter, who found out about the expenditure, sought help from a Shanghai television program. The treatments included skin tightening, thread lifting, meridian massage, eyebrow and lip tattooing, and multiple sessions of the same procedures, all at prices significantly higher than market rates. Despite being billed 10 to 20 times more than usual, Yu did not notice the high costs, believing she was financially secure. She had earned the savings by selling her home. When her daughter discovered the situation, Yu had no more savings and was forced to sell her jewelry. The Yongqi store had referred her to Rouyi, a medical beauty clinic, which charged her 300,000 yuan (US$45,000) for an \"intimate care\" procedure but later replaced it with other skincare treatments. The clinic's invoices listed mysterious items like \"happiness chair\" and \"space capsule\" that Yu could not understand. Attempts to contact Rouyi for comment were unsuccessful. Yu's daughter discovered that the clinic billed her through Yongqi's account. The store claimed that Yu requested the frequent procedures due to \"appearance anxiety\" and that all prices were clearly marked. They issued a partial refund. However, the SCMP reached out to the store and the clinic for further comments, but they declined to provide additional details. The store continued to operate without any official investigation or suspension. Critics argue that while elderly individuals have the right to pursue beauty, they should not be exploited by dishonest businesses.",
  "summary": "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…",
  "key_points": [
    "75-year-old Shanghai woman Yu spent all retirement savings on beauty treatments",
    "Daughter discovered excessive costs, sought help from Shanghai TV program",
    "Yongqi Beauty salon and affiliated clinic charged mysterious fees like \"happiness chair\""
  ],
  "editors_take": "This case highlights the vulnerability of elderly individuals to exploitation by businesses, particularly in the beauty industry, where high prices and unclear services can be manipulated to drain their savings.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}