Chinese woman hitchhiker persuades random driver who picked her up to "marry" her, lies about rented properties, and tells friends and relatives her "new husband" is real estate entrepreneur.
A Shanghai woman staged a wedding with a man posing as a rich real estate businessman, promised to buy her relatives cheap properties and scammed 12 million yuan (US$1.6 million) out of them.
In a story that has shocked mainland social media, the 40-year-old woman, surnamed Meng, hatched a plan to con her relatives when the small real estate agency she ran failed in 2014, Shanghai TV reported in January.
In order to convince her relatives, she proposed to the driver of a random car she met while hitchhiking to stage a fake wedding, using the excuse that her parents were pushing her to get married because of her age.
The married driver, surnamed Jiang, agreed and held a wedding with her using a pseudonym.
Meng told her relatives that Jiang was responsible for the construction of many big real estate projects, and had connections in the business that allowed them to purchase new properties cheaply.
Meng then bought a small flat worth one million yuan (US$137,000), and sold it to her cousin at half the price.
She then asked him to lie to the relatives that he only paid half price because Meng and Jiang had connections.
Meng also took her relatives to the showrooms of new residential compounds, and told them she could lower the price by 5,000 yuan (US$700) per square metre, about 20 per cent cheaper than the original price.
At least five relatives were reported to have fallen into Meng’s trap and gave her a big sum of money to buy flats. Some even sold the flats they lived in to change for a better property.
Meng first stalled for years saying it took time to arrange the discount, and around 2018 and 2019, she rented flats for those relatives and lied that they were the properties they bought.
She did not give them a property ownership certificate saying it was “temporarily impossible” to get one for discount properties.
It was only when one of the victims realised something was wrong, and went to check with the real property developer, that she discovered the flat she lived in was not owned by her.
Another victim, Meng’s cousin, even spent more than 100,000 yuan (US$14,000) to decorate and furnish a rented flat.
A court jailed Meng for 12 years and six months for contract fraud.
Her fake husband received six years because he was the one who signed the house-leasing contracts with the flats’ real owners. Her cousin who lied in front of other relatives was given a five-year sentence.
Top Chinese general Xu Qiliang, a close ally of President Xi Jinping who was the former vice chair of the powerful Central Military Commission, died of illness at age 75 on Monday in Beijing, state media reported.
Azerbaijan has emerged as a critical transportation hub in China's Belt and Road Initiative, transforming from a regional energy exporter into a vital link connecting Chinese goods with European markets.
As the US-China trade standoff intensifies, Beijing has released a striking video vowing to resist pressure and uphold its global trade role, accusing Washington of economic coercion.
China rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's accusations of breaching a recent trade agreement, labeling them as "groundless" and warning it will respond decisively to protect its economic interests.
China has issued a formal protest against the United States over recent remarks by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing Washington of “vilifying” Beijing and promoting confrontation in the Indo-Pacific.
A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Türkiye near Mugla’s Marmaris district, causing panic and minor injuries. Officials report building cracks and dozens injured after jumping in fear.
Russia laid out strict demands for ending the war during peace talks in Istanbul, calling on Ukraine to cede territory and limit its military.
UK Trade Minister Jonathan Reynolds is set to meet U.S. Trade Representative to discuss the next steps in a complicated tariff deal, amid steel tariffs that could impact British industry.
Russian shelling killed at least five people on Monday in different frontline areas of eastern Ukraine, officials said.
The U.S. Senate may soon take a significant step against Russia, as lawmakers consider a bipartisan sanctions bill aimed at increasing pressure over the war in Ukraine. The legislation could also target countries like China and India that continue trading with Moscow.
On May 28, the inauguration ceremony of Lachin International Airport was held.
Taxi drivers across France are protesting government plans to cut payments for driving patients to medical appointments. These cuts are part of a broader effort by Prime Minister François Bayrou to save €40 billion in the 2026 budget and reduce the country’s large deficit.
EU ministers have greenlit a massive €150 billion defense investment fund—dubbed the Security Action for Europe (SAFE)—as the bloc ramps up its military readiness in response to Russia’s aggression and growing uncertainty over U.S. security guarantees.
Brazil’s economy is expected to have regained momentum in the first quarter of 2025, driven by a surge in household spending and private investment, according to a Reuters poll of economists conducted from May 21–26.
As peace talks progress, voices from Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Baku reveal hopes, concerns, and expectations for a future shaped by trade, trust, and generational change in the South Caucasus.
A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Türkiye near Mugla’s Marmaris district, causing panic and minor injuries. Officials report building cracks and dozens injured after jumping in fear.
Russia laid out strict demands for ending the war during peace talks in Istanbul, calling on Ukraine to cede territory and limit its military.
UK Trade Minister Jonathan Reynolds is set to meet U.S. Trade Representative to discuss the next steps in a complicated tariff deal, amid steel tariffs that could impact British industry.
Russian shelling killed at least five people on Monday in different frontline areas of eastern Ukraine, officials said.
The U.S. Senate may soon take a significant step against Russia, as lawmakers consider a bipartisan sanctions bill aimed at increasing pressure over the war in Ukraine. The legislation could also target countries like China and India that continue trading with Moscow.
A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Türkiye near Mugla’s Marmaris district, causing panic and minor injuries. Officials report building cracks and dozens injured after jumping in fear.
Russia laid out strict demands for ending the war during peace talks in Istanbul, calling on Ukraine to cede territory and limit its military.
UK Trade Minister Jonathan Reynolds is set to meet U.S. Trade Representative to discuss the next steps in a complicated tariff deal, amid steel tariffs that could impact British industry.
Russian shelling killed at least five people on Monday in different frontline areas of eastern Ukraine, officials said.
The U.S. Senate may soon take a significant step against Russia, as lawmakers consider a bipartisan sanctions bill aimed at increasing pressure over the war in Ukraine. The legislation could also target countries like China and India that continue trading with Moscow.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment