“No need. I am fine.”

By the time I got to her apartment the next morning, the police had informed me that her bank accounts were empty. She had lost almost all of the money she had carefully put away over more than 70 years. I expected to be greeted by a distraught, unkempt old woman, but Laolao looked just as she always did. Her eyebrows were neatly drawn, her face was relaxed, even peaceful, as she explained what happened.

The basic narrative was a classic: Someone called and told her that her identity had been compromised. That she was implicated in a money-laundering case with hundreds of millions on the line, and that she would soon be arrested. The same scam has been plaguing Chinese immigrants all over the United States, as well as in mainland China, Taiwan, Japan and elsewhere. I had always sneered at the victims for trusting strangers on the phone. Who could be so gullible? But these scammers get to know their marks thoroughly and are adept at ensnaring their prey.

After they got Laolao’s attention, a handler impersonated a government official and appealed to her to cooperate with his team to clear her name. He was eloquent and convinced her that her country was depending on her to do what he asked and agree to strict secrecy, effectively isolating her.

Under his meticulous direction, Laolao purchased a burner phone and communicated with him under the call sign “Eagle.” After two weeks of constant contact, Laolao was picked up and taken to a remote hotel, where she was instructed to turn over her bank information so that the task force could use it to trace the maneuvers of the criminals. Laolao told me she had some misgivings, but complied.

I briefly wondered if this lapse of judgment was a sign that her mind was going. I had never known her to make decisions without feeling absolutely sure. But I had missed her real vulnerability.

“I was really impressed with the scammer,” Laolao told me. “He was quite a high-caliber individual. He was so eloquent and natural, and he sounded so dedicated to the welfare of our country, which is something I have devoted my entire life to. We were like instant old friends; he understood me completely, and very tenderly asked after my well-being and health every day.”

The truth none of us wanted to face, least of all Laolao, was how alienated she felt, from her family and everyone else. She was once a woman in complete control, and she had given China a lifetime of service. She survived Land Reform, the Great Leap Forward, and the Cultural Revolution. As a government official, she helped shape national policy, and there was a time when she was involved in every major family decision.