3·15 Evening Gala | "Height Enhancement" Scam Crazy Money-Grabbing

“Let your child’s height easily grow by 3 to 8 centimeters.” “Gaining 3 to 8 centimeters is not a dream.” “Don’t miss the opportunity to catch up.” “If you want your child not to fall behind at the starting line, take a look.” “It’s like installing a growth accelerator on the bones. If ineffective, we dare to offer a full refund.”

On various online platforms, reporters found promotional posts from different merchants claiming they can install an “accelerator” on children’s bones to help teenagers easily grow several centimeters. These tempting promises appeal to many parents’ hopes. However, while this business is booming, the “3.15” evening gala also received multiple complaints from consumers claiming they were scammed. Are these height-increasing services, which claim to be “physical and safe,” high-tech or just consumer scams?

Following the store names left in online promotions, reporters visited a chain called “Anlishen Teen Physical Height Increase” located at a branch. On a busy weekend, the store was lively, with more than ten children undergoing height-increasing treatments.

Manager of Anlishen Teen Physical Height Increase Store: We use this Anlishen device to stimulate the child’s growth plates, making the cells secrete more, so the child grows faster.

The store manager explained that their height-increasing method is a physical “green” approach.

During visits, reporters found that many Anlishen stores attract parents mainly through promises of “contract guarantees and full refunds if ineffective.”

Manager of Anlishen Teen Physical Height Increase Store: 19,800 yuan a year, and we have a minimum guaranteed increase in centimeters.

Staff at Anlishen Teen Physical Height Increase Store: If we don’t meet the target, we offer a full refund.

Will it really be ineffective and fully refunded? Can it truly physically increase a child’s height? To uncover the true purpose of these merchants, reporters went undercover as franchisees to the headquarters of “Anlishen Teen Physical Height Increase.” During the interview, the manager revealed the truth.

Head of Anlishen Teen Physical Height Increase Headquarters: We have an advantage—children will grow naturally anyway, even if they don’t come to us. But we don’t tell parents that.

Not only is Anlishen deceiving consumers, but another nationwide chain, Dejiru Teen Physical Height Increase, also offers similar height-increasing programs, with the same pricing and promises of full refunds if ineffective.

Unlike other similar stores, they have an exclusive physical height-increasing technology based on a self-developed ultrasonic device.

Manager of Dejiru Teen Physical Height Increase: We stimulate the child’s knees with ultrasonic devices. If we intervene, the cells become more active, and the child’s growth rate increases.

Do these so-called core height-increasing devices really have the effects claimed by merchants? To find out, reporters investigated the manufacturer of the equipment based on the brand information displayed on Dejiru’s devices.

Manufacturer of the Equipment: The core functions are anti-inflammatory and pain relief, unrelated to height increase.

Additionally, the manufacturer’s manual explicitly states that children under 14 are prohibited from use.

The manufacturer also clarified that the patent Dejiru claims is actually a control system patent, unrelated to height increase. Other patents held by the company do not have functions related to stimulating growth plates or accelerating bone cell division. Confronted with doubts, the headquarters and technical staff revealed the truth.

Head of Dejiru Teen Physical Height Increase Headquarters: Children will grow naturally, mostly because they grow slowly. No matter how effective, they will grow; it’s just a matter of more or less.

Staff at Dejiru Teen Physical Height Increase: Some are just making money on the edge. If the timing is right, children are already growing, so refunds are impossible.

Merchants use pseudo-scientific language to deceive consumers. During investigations, many children and parents who received these services reported that the actual height increase was not satisfactory.

These physical height-increasing centers not only target teenagers with consumer fraud but also claim that they can increase the height of adults with closed growth plates.

They constantly change tactics for different groups, clearly calculating their profits by exploiting people’s height anxieties.

Head of Dejiru Teen Physical Height Increase Headquarters: Adults only straighten their bones; they don’t make bones grow. True bone growth is impossible. Trying to reopen closed growth plates in adults is impossible—it’s all a scam.

Although industry insiders know that once the growth plates close, natural height increase is impossible, another company, Yingruike Height and Body Conditioning Center, claims it can defy scientific facts and achieve “closure height increase.”

The head of Yingruike told reporters that they can do physiological and psychological interventions, even including metaphysical methods, as long as parents are willing to pay.

However, when asked about scientific basis and medical support, Mr. Pan admitted he has no medical data or clinical validation reports and just wants to make money.

Head of Yingruike Height and Body Conditioning Center: It’s just a physical height increase operation without scientific basis. We make money from it because it’s highly profitable.

By the end of the investigation, these types of height-increasing stores continued to expand through franchisees. Taking Dejiru as an example, there are now over seventy stores across ten provinces. Anlishen has more than sixty stores, and Yingruike has over thirty franchise locations. Relying on sales pitches and false claims of high technology and patents, these merchants are deceiving consumers and making huge profits under the myth of height increase.

(Edited by: Wen Jing)

Keywords: 3·15