A Chinese woman was apprehended after it was discovered that she had pretended to be her friend’s internet boyfriend to trick her into sending money.
The woman, identified as Ms. Li, was allegedly cheated out of $290,000 over 12 years by her acquaintance, Ms. Yu, who pretended to be a well-known TV host on social media, according to Shanghai police. Ms. Yu told the police that when she was younger, Ms. Li’s mother remarked on her, saying she wouldn’t be able to find a husband because she wasn’t attractive enough and didn’t have a solid financial history.
According to the report, Yu took the joke seriously and planned a retaliatory act. She told Li’s mother that she knew a single, well-known TV host who was looking for a good wife. Li’s mother begged her to set up the phony date for her daughter.
Yu created multiple fake social media profiles of the TV host and messaged Li, which led to a 12-year relationship in which they didn’t meet in person. When Li wanted to meet her online boyfriend in person, Yu would come up with multiple excuses, including being busy with work, being ill, or being too tired to meet up for a date.
However, she didn’t initially plan to defraud her friend. Still, when she started experiencing financial issues in 2018, Yu decided to continue the “relationship” even further by asking Li for money. The victim reportedly spent all her savings and wanted to confront the fake news anchor about the money. A
After feeling guilty, Yu confessed to Li and said she lied about knowing the news anchor, including creating fake social media profiles. She also hoped her former friend wouldn’t go to the police to discuss the crime. Yu was arrested and charged with the scheme, and it is unclear when she will appear in court.