Puppet shows to educate seniors on health food and telemarketing scams

Consumer protection groups in South Korea's North Jeolla Province are stepping up efforts to combat a rise in scams targeting the elderly, particularly those involving health foods and telemarketing. The 1372 Consumer Counseling Center recorded 1,521 consultations from seniors in the region last year. Individuals in their 60s made up the largest group, with 762 cases (50.1%), followed closely by those in their 70s with 630 cases (41.4%). Together, these two age demographics accounted for over 91% of all consultations. Food-related complaints represented the highest proportion at 19.8%, attributed to increased interest in health and the expanding market for health supplements. Some companies reportedly lure seniors to sales events with incentives like free tours or gifts, then pressure them into buying expensive health products. Other common issues include complaints about home appliances, mobile phones, agricultural machinery, and financial services. To address these growing concerns, the Jeonbuk branch of the Korea Consumer Federation is launching a series of educational puppet shows. These performances aim to raise awareness about fraudulent advertising, high-pressure sales tactics at temporary sales booths, telemarketing fraud, and deceptive online shopping malls. The initiative plans to reach approximately 2,400 senior consumers through 40 sessions across 14 cities and counties in the province by the end of the year. The federation advises seniors to carefully review contract details and be cautious about sharing personal information, noting that contract cancellations are possible within 14 days of receiving goods or services purchased through door-to-door or telemarketing sales.

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Elderly consumer damage often occurs through door-to-door sales and telemarketing.