Chinese married woman’s web of lies lures 18 love-struck men into giving her US$300,000, believing they were to marry
- Police have uncovered a romance scam run by a married woman who tricked multiple men into thinking they were dating and handing over cash
- The reasons she gave for needing money ranged from bailing a relative out of jail, to a father with cancer, some men got loans and one sold his home
A married fashion model in China who allegedly conned almost 20 men out of more than two million yuan (US$300,000) to fund her luxury lifestyle has been arrested by Shanghai police.
The 29-year-old woman, surnamed Wu, has been romantically involved with numerous men since 2017 and at one point was dating 18 men simultaneously, Shanghai TV reported.
Wu pretended to agree to marry the men, even having pre-wedding photos taken with them to convince the men her feelings were genuine.
Some of her “boyfriends” were so enraptured by her act that they started affectionately calling her “wife” in their online conversations. Once Wu was confident she had the unwitting men on the hook, the request for money began.
The reasons she gave for needing money included her father had late-stage cancer and she had to cover his medical costs; her brother needed money to buy a flat for his marriage; her cousin needed bailing out of jail, and that she had to pay a tax bill after inheriting property.
So convincing was Wu’s routine that some men took out loans to meet her requests for cash, police said.