On an ordinary morning, as the television turns on, an elderly man stares at the familiar and confident face on the screen.
Liu Hongbin, an "expert" who frequently appears in TV drug commercials, is gushing about a health medicine called "Tianshan Snow Lotus".
The old man, like many other people his age, was deeply attracted by Liu's words, and they trusted her and were even willing to spend all their savings to buy the products she recommended in order to pursue their health.
However, this "miracle doctor" on TV actually hides a shocking secret.
Over the course of three years, she has changed nine different identities and played different roles in TV drug commercials.
But her real identity is not that of a professional doctor or medical expert, but of an ordinary old lady hired by a pharmaceutical company to play these roles. This well-planned scam not only misled countless elderly people seeking good health, but also allowed her to make illegal profits of up to 8 billion yuan in this way.
The "expert" in TV commercials: the case of Liu Hongbin
Since 2013, Liu Hongbin has been a regular in TV commercials. In the world of TV drug commercials, Liu Hongbin plays an "expert". Each of her appearances is carefully prepared.
With the help of a makeup artist, Liu Hongbin's face was meticulously retouched, and her hair was meticulously combed. Special glasses are worn on the bridge of the nose, adding a bit of scholarly temperament.
The video light turned on, and Liu Hongbin began her performance: "Ladies and gentlemen, today I will introduce to you the precious medicinal material from the Tianshan Mountains - Tianshan Snow Lotus. This is the treasure of our nation, which has an incredible effect on enhancing immunity and improving physical fitness. Her voice was firm and kind.
Liu Hongbin stood in front of a wooden table with boxes of products and some Chinese medicinal herbs. Liu Hongbin picked up the product and continued to introduce the product used to cheat money.
As soon as the screen turns, Liu Hongbin appears in another advertisement, where she changes into a white lab coat and stands in front of a high-tech virtual laboratory background. She held the "Mongolian Medicine Heart and Brain Formula" and said seriously to the camera: "This product integrates modern science and technology and the wisdom of traditional Mongolian medicine, and is specifically aimed at cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. ”
On the TV screen, Liu Hongbin's role as an "expert" left a deep impression on many middle-aged and elderly audiences. In the activity room of a middle-aged and elderly community, some residents sit around the television. An old man pointed to Liu Hongbin on the screen and said, "Look, the medicine introduced by this expert sounds very researching. ”
But in reality, these so-called "experts" do not have the relevant professional background. They just played a persuasive role according to the requirements of the pharmacist.
Although this false propaganda method increases the sales of the product in the short term, the impact on society is negative.
The blind pursuit and cost of the elderly
In another family, an elderly man is sitting in front of a television, watching intently Mr. Liu's performance in an advertisement. On the screen, Liu Hongbin is showing the audience a bottle of medicine with exquisite capsules, and his voice is full of enthusiasm and convincing: "This is our latest health capsule, which has a significant effect on improving immunity and delaying aging." ”
The old man stared at the TV screen, then picked up the phone on the table and dialed the purchase hotline shown in the advertisement. The salesperson on the other end of the line responded enthusiastically: "Hello! How many boxes do you need?"
"I would like to buy ten boxes," replied the old man, "I have heard that it is good for health." ”
"Of course, this product is very effective. We will arrange the shipment for you as soon as possible. The salesman's tone revealed satisfaction.
A few days later, a courier knocked on the old man's door, carrying a package in his hand. The old man hurriedly opened it, and inside was the medicine he had ordered. He looked at the medicines with a satisfied smile on his face.
In another scene, a community health talk is underway. A doctor explains common health myths to a group of older adults. "Many of the so-called health products in TV commercials are not scientifically proven," he said. You must be cautious when purchasing. ”
An elderly man attending the lecture raised his hand and asked, "Are the medicines recommended by the experts on TV reliable?"
The doctor replied: "Many of the so-called experts on TV are not really medical experts. When purchasing such products, it is best to consult a doctor or relevant professional first. ”
Behind this phenomenon is the limitation of access to information among older age groups. They often only have access to information through traditional media such as television or radio, and the information on these channels is often not effectively regulated and filtered. This has led to their vulnerability to being misled by false advertising when faced with health issues.
At the same time, in a conference room at a pharmaceutical company, several executives were discussing sales strategies. A marketing manager pointed to the sales data on the computer screen and said, "Look, since we started Liu Hongbin as a spokesperson, sales have gone up significantly. ”
"That's right," another senior responded, "she has a lot of influence in the older age group, and we need to continue to use that." ”
These conversations and scenarios reveal a deeper societal problem: as older people age, they often lack sufficient discernment when confronted with complex health information. Their desire for health and longevity makes them easy targets for unscrupulous merchants and false advertising. In this context, the protection of the elderly group and the regulation of false health information are particularly important.
Exposure and punishment of false identities
As time went on, the authorities began to conduct in-depth investigations into these drug advertisements on television. In a censorship room, several investigators are poring over the video of the advertisement in which Mr. Liu appeared. They compared Liu Hongbin in different advertisements and recorded the various roles she played.
"Look here," one investigator said, pointing to the screen, "in this ad, she claims to be an expert on cardiovascular disease, but in another ad she's a health expert." ”
Another investigator, who was reviewing Liu's background information, said: "We can't find out that she has any background in medical specialties. All her so-called expertise, it seems, is made up. ”
Driven by these investigations, Liu Hongbin's true identity gradually became known to the public. She is not an expert in many fields, but just an ordinary old lady who is hired by a pharmaceutical company to play a different role.
With the exposure of the truth, the advertising fraud case in which Liu Hongbin participated gradually surfaced. At a press conference, a spokesperson announced: "We have conducted an in-depth investigation into Liu Hongbin's alleged false advertising practices. After verification, she forged the identities of 9 experts in 3 years by participating in these false advertisements, making a profit of about 8 billion yuan. ”
The news at the press conference quickly spread and attracted a lot of public attention. Many older people who have purchased these medicines are beginning to realize that they have been deceived.
Under the pressure of public opinion, Liu Hongbin was finally taken away by relevant departments for investigation. In the interrogation room, investigators are questioning her.
The trial of the law and the end of the great hoax
In the interrogation room, Liu Hongbin faced investigators from relevant departments. She was asked about the details of the advertising campaigns she was involved in, as well as the agreements she had with the pharmaceutical companies. Liu Hongbin began to recount her experience in detail, from her initial employment with a pharmacist to the roles she played in various advertisements.
Investigators carefully recorded her statement. They asked, "Do you know that the drugs in these advertisements are not as effective as you advertise?" Liu Hongbin lowered his head and replied slowly, "Yes, I know that they are not as advertised." ”
As the investigation deepened, Liu Hongbin revealed more details about the false propaganda. She mentioned how the pharmacy guided her in her presentations and how the efficacy of the products was deliberately fabricated to appeal to consumers, especially the elderly group.
In court, Liu Hongbin's case has received widespread attention. The judge listened solemnly to the prosecutor's accusations against her. Prosecutors described Liu Hongbin's criminal conduct in detail, emphasizing her deception of the public and her bad influence on society.
In court, Liu Hongbin was accused of being suspected of endorsing false advertisements and causing huge losses to society. Faced with the trial of the law, she is no longer the confident "expert" on the TV screen, but a defendant who recognizes her mistakes and waits for a verdict.
Subsequently, Liu Hongbin was sentenced for his crimes and all illegal gains were confiscated. In announcing the verdict, the judge solemnly pointed out the negative impact of her actions on society, especially the misleading attitude towards the elderly group.
At the same time, those drugmakers who have invited Liu Hongbin to be their spokesperson are also closely scrutinized by the relevant authorities. Drug companies have been shut down on suspicion of publishing false advertisements and defrauding consumers. The offices of these companies were cordoned off and those responsible were taken away for investigation.
The end of this three-year-old scam has caused all sectors of society to reflect deeply on the lack of protection for the elderly. The case was widely covered by the news media, sparking a public outcry against false advertising and bad business practices.
At the community center, a group of elderly people sat around and discussed the case. They are beginning to realize that they need to be more cautious when confronted with advertisements and stop believing exaggerated propaganda.
In addition, the government has begun to strengthen the supervision of advertising content, and introduced stricter advertising regulations to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.
Through this case, the public's ability to discern health information has been improved, and at the same time, it has also promoted the society's attention and protection of the elderly group.
Zheng Bingchan, Wang Yonghong, Xingye, Li Hui, Song Xiangquan, Zheng Shushen.Investigation on the health literacy and influencing factors of traditional Chinese medicine health care literacy and influencing factors of the elderly in Hebei Province from the perspective of healthy China strategy[J].Journal of Hebei North University:Natural Science Edition,2023,39(8):43-47