The trick that Dak To Kan Commune Police (Quang Ngai) has just warned about not only makes many people angry because of the money people lost, but also because of the act of taking advantage of the trust of the elderly to make a profit.
In fact, the organizers of photography do not use threatening or coercive tricks. They start with the two words "free", and then skillfully lead customers to buy more commemorative photos at very high prices. Legally, this may still be a "mutual purchase and sale" relationship, so it is not easy to handle criminally.
But legal does not mean correct.
What makes many people feel unacceptable is that the subjects have chosen the right group of people most vulnerable. Elderly people often rarely update new tricks, are afraid of bargaining, afraid of refusing, and also do not want to have conflicts.
For veterans, photos combined with images of the army or Uncle Ho's Mausoleum also touch pride in a time of dedication. These beautiful emotions are turned into tools for selling goods.
What is more worrying is that if such tricks continue to appear, people will gradually lose faith in both charity activities or truly serving the community.
Tomorrow, if a reputable organization wants to take free photos for the elderly, they may receive suspicious eyes instead of acceptance. Some people making money with gullibility may make good deeds later encounter more barriers.
In modern society, forms of fraud are also changing very quickly. If previously it was fake police calls, fake banks or winning messages, now those tricks have appeared right at village cultural houses, halls, places that people considered safe spaces. Now, bad guys no longer only take advantage of technology but also take advantage of the trust of the community.
Therefore, in addition to the involvement of the police force, local authorities also need to strictly control groups coming to organize activities in the locality, especially when they borrow the names of organizations and associations to approach people. Elderly associations and veterans associations also need to verify carefully before coordinating to organize any programs.
More importantly, it is the care of children and grandchildren, relatives for the elderly. Just a reminder like "don't rush to believe in what is advertised as free", or a phone call to ask for advice before deciding to buy a valuable item can also help parents and grandparents avoid unjustly losing money.
