A Chinese woman was recently arrested after she allegedly used social media to pose as a man in order to scam her own friend into falling in love with her so that she would send her money.
Shanghai police said in a statement this has been one of the strangest love scams ever reported.
Oddity Central reported that the victim is a middle-aged woman, who had been scammed into sending about 2 million yuan, around RM1,286,150 over a 12-year period to someone who was posing as a well-known TV news anchor on social media.
Photo via South China Morning Post
The weirdest thing is that the scammer turns out to be one of her female friends who she trusted. The victim’s mother even said that they have been friends since they were young!
Aiyo!
The “friend” who goes by the name Ms. Yu confessed and later turned herself in, saying that she had known the victim, Ms. Li for a very long time and even their parents are acquainted. Li’s mother once jokingly told Li that she wouldn’t be able to find a husband because “she wasn’t attractive.”
Yu said she really took it to heart because “it was a cruel thing to say to a young girl.”
She came up with a plan because the more she considered what the woman had said, the more she wanted to take revenge. If she had trouble finding love, “her friend Li would have, too.”
Years after being insulted by her friend’s mother, Ms. Yu approached the same woman to brag about being friends with a well-known TV news anchor who just happened to be single and in search of a suitable wife. As expected, the woman pleaded with her to match him up with her daughter, and Yu’s plan was set in motion.
Yu had not originally intended to commit the scam, but by 2018, she realised that her friend had fallen hard for this man she created and that she needed money badly. She then began asking her for money while making up all kinds of excuses.
Photo via South China Morning Post
Li was head over heels for the man so she would do anything for him, and before she knew it, Yu was addicted and started asking her for more and more money.
After realising that it was all a scam, Li then went over to make a police report.
Yu was arrested by police and the case is still under investigation.
This sounds like it only happens in movies.
What do you guys think? Would you guys send over RM1 million to someone you’ve never met?
