‘Bully’ woman influencer in China arrested after intimidation, claims she is immortal, cures ills, makes people rich
- Live-streams abuse, threats, insults, curses, claims to be immortal
- Offensive behaviour attracts bigger following, is arrested by police
An influencer in China, notorious for insulting her followers during live broadcasts, has been arrested by police after she conned people out of money by convincing them she was “possessed by immortals” and could tell fortunes.
One victim, Jin, saw videos of the influencer, surnamed Guo, bragging about her bogus abilities, which included exorcising spirits and healing people.
She also displayed thank-you banners allegedly from grateful individuals she claimed to have helped.
Jin contacted Guo and asked her to cure his parents’ illnesses and also to boost his finances, and she agreed. She also arranged to visit his home to assess the feng shui, charging him 2,000 yuan (US$280) for her services.
When Jin’s parents’ health showed no signs of improvement, he realised he had fallen victim to a scam. Yet, the fear of Guo’s retaliation and her substantial online following deterred him from confronting her.
“She likes to intimidate and insult others. If things go south, she might expose my family’s private matters or my business affairs. Her large following makes me cautious about making things worse,” Jin told reporters from state media CCTV.