Press "PandaGuides" above to follow us!
A Chinese man lost ¥480,000 to a married woman who orchestrated a two-year scam by hiring actors to pose as herself and her family, authorities revealed.
The victim, identified as Xin from Hubei province, met a woman online in August 2022 who called herself Xiaoyu. Claiming to have seen his contact information in a wedding planning advertisement, she professed her love to him just a month after their initial online interaction.
Xiaoyu, who was later revealed to be an unemployed married woman surnamed Zhou from Jiangsu province, convinced Xin to start planning their marriage. She requested a bride price of 188,000 yuan, citing local customs. When Xin visited her home with gifts worth 10,000 yuan in January last year, she claimed to be ill and refused to meet him.
Over the following year, Zhou continually solicited money from Xin, citing her mother’s surgery and gifts for her sister as reasons. Despite his repeated requests to meet in person, she declined, claiming it was “inconvenient.” Zhou sent photos and made phone calls to maintain the illusion, persuading Xin to transfer a total of 220,000 yuan.
In April 2023, Zhou finally agreed to meet Xin along with her “family” in his city. However, Xin noticed discrepancies between her appearance and the photos she had previously sent, which she dismissed as “beautified images.” During subsequent meetings to discuss wedding arrangements, Xin spent an additional 40,000 yuan on gifts and clothes for her “family.”
Xin’s suspicions grew after he discovered messages on Zhou’s phone, where she complained about him “constantly asking to meet” and referred to following a “script.” When confronted, Zhou claimed someone else had been using her account. The next day, her so-called “sister” Xiaomiao informed Xin that Zhou was depressed and suggested he break up with her.
Determined to uncover the truth, Xin traveled to Zhou’s city and discovered that Xiaomiao was the person he had been speaking to all along. Police later revealed that Zhou had hired actors to impersonate herself and her family. She used the stolen funds, totaling 480,000 yuan to support her child.
The scam came to light in November, and Zhou was detained for further investigation. Netizens were stunned by the case, with one commenting, “Life is more dramatic than television dramas.” Another remarked, “Love is so blind that he didn’t notice all the loopholes for two years.”
Long press or scan the QR CODE below to follow us!
