In March, in a village in Foshan, Guangdong province, thieves broke into 12 deserted houses, stealing everything they could carry. One 70-year-old villager named Xian lost 3,000 yuan ($488) in savings he had left in his old house. Luckily, no one was hurt because the elderly residents had been moved into new houses earlier in the year. However, as many of them were unsure about the new accommodation, they left possessions and caches of valuables and cash in their former homes.

Locals said the villagers, most of whom were left-behind seniors, had been feeling increasingly insecure. There are no security systems in the village and autos, electrical wiring and even family dogs were being stolen as the number of raids increased.

Some of those who suffered losses were reluctant to report the thefts to the police for fear of reprisals by the thieves, while others mistakenly thought they would have to pay the police to attend the crime scene. The isolation bred fear and made the elderly residents feel even less secure.