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A man in China has been sentenced to over eight years in prison for scamming three women out of 540,000 yuan (US$75,000) and using the stolen money to buy luxury gifts for his girlfriend. Identified as Wang, the perpetrator posed as a wealthy bachelor to deceive the women, who were all single and divorced in their 30s.
The case, which took place in Wugong County, Shaanxi province, gained attention after one of the victims reported Wang to the police late last year. She revealed that Wang had borrowed money under false pretenses, claiming it was for his sister’s cancer treatment, his own kidney-related medical bills, and everyday expenses like buying an electric bike and a phone.
Initially, Wang promised to repay the borrowed money but repeatedly delayed doing so, ultimately cutting off all contact with her. A police investigation later uncovered two additional victims who had similarly fallen prey to Wang’s deceptive schemes.
Despite the mounting evidence, Wang denied wrongdoing during his arrest, arguing that the victims willingly dated him and gave him money. However, authorities revealed a stark contrast between Wang’s fabricated image of a wealthy businessman and his reality as a low-income migrant worker with no assets.
The ill-gotten funds were spent on another woman, surnamed Cheng, whom Wang referred to as his “real girlfriend.” He lavished her with luxury items and vacations in a desperate attempt to maintain her favor, fearing she would reject him if she discovered his true financial situation.
The impact on the victims was severe. Some not only emptied their savings but also borrowed money from relatives and online lending platforms, leaving them in significant financial distress.
In January, a local court sentenced Wang to eight years and three months in prison and fined him 50,000 yuan (US$6,900). He also wrote an apology letter to his victims, pledging to work diligently to repay them after his release.
Source: SCMP
