I came across an article on your newspaper on gullible customers falling prey to various tricky scams recently. It is true that business people in the modern world care more about their own interests rather than that of others. This conclusion applies to both developing and developed nations.

Admittedly, cunning businessmen, in many cases, have practiced upon customers' credulity. However, instead of wasting time in blaming themselves for being gullible, the victims should stand up and resort to the authorities. Silence is of no help in protecting their rights.

Because of language barriers, it is not surprising that Chinese customers are targeted and lured to sign some contracts that they hardly understand, when renting a house or buying a second-hand car abroad. This is exactly what happened to a close friend of mine, who was cheated out of 700 pounds during her stay in London.

It is very common for students to rent a house outside the campus in the UK, as staying in a dormitory is quite expensive. Most international students, not familiar with the new environment, choose to hunt for a suitable room by browsing through various online advertisements, of which some are fake.

In urgent need for a place to stay in London, my friend transferred 700 pounds as a deposit to the "owner" of the house even before she met this person. However, when my friend wanted to move in the house, she could not reach the so-called "householder" by phone or e-mail. The advertisement was also removed from the website.

Having nowhere to stay in a strange city, my friend turned to me and stayed in my place for a week. Having heard her horror story, I suggested she call the police. She refused at first believing that this would be of no help in getting her money back. Yet, my insistence changed her attitude.

At last, it turned out that the swindler was a random friend of the former lodger and the real house owner had absolutely no idea that his house had been advertised online. Even if my friend had not retrieved her deposit by the time she left the UK, resorting to the police has prevented more gullible people from falling prey to predators.

Silence, on the other hand, could do nothing but allow the cunning swindlers to commit more scams. The online market will become a hotbed for various kinds of tricks if no victim stands up and fights against the cheats.

It's true that it is a Chinese tradition to examine ourselves to make improvements. And it is true that many Chinese are used to blaming ourselves even when we are victimized in a scam. It is high time that we should learn from the West and criticize others for the sake of our rights. Rightly blaming the scammers, not ourselves, for the predicament will, in many cases, prevent innocent people from being taken advantage of.

Little Jelly, a freelance writer based in Beijing