600多名老人被骗4200万，诈骗团伙以免费吃火锅为诱饵，称投资年化收益率达50%

Core Points - A fraudulent scheme targeting elderly individuals was uncovered, involving a fake hotpot restaurant that offered free meals as bait to attract victims for investment in a non-existent beef cattle project [1][6] - The scheme resulted in illegal fundraising of approximately 42 million yuan, affecting over 600 elderly investors [6][7] Group 1: Fraud Scheme Details - The fraudulent company used a free hotpot meal to lure elderly individuals, promising high annual returns of 15% to 50% on investments in cattle [6][7] - Victims, including individuals like Aunt Zhu and Aunt Lu, were persuaded to invest significant amounts, with Aunt Zhu initially investing 50,000 yuan and later increasing her investment to 100,000 yuan [2][4][6] - The company falsely claimed to have a cattle farm in Inner Mongolia, which was later found to be non-existent [6] Group 2: Legal Consequences - The police arrested 17 suspects, including the main perpetrator, Wang, who was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison for fundraising fraud [6][7] - The authorities managed to recover nearly 90% of the illegal proceeds, returning significant amounts to the victims, such as 90,000 yuan to Aunt Zhu and nearly 120,000 yuan to Aunt Lu [7]