People often say love knows no age, and looking for happiness in later years is completely natural. But misplaced trust can turn the dream of a peaceful home into a harsh nightmare.
The bitter story of Mr. Gan, a 60-year-old divorced man living alone for years, is a painful example. Swayed by the sweet words of an online “CEO girlfriend,” he gathered all his assets and traveled thousands of miles hoping for a new life, only to end up broke and surviving by foraging wild plants.
A Sweet Promise
Mr. Gan, 60, had a tough life, divorced young and living alone for many years. His life seemed destined to pass quietly until he met a woman online.
She claimed to be divorced too, the owner of a large company with abundant wealth. She constantly showed care and affection, insisting she fell in love with him at first sight.
“She said she was a big boss with lots of money and was ready to support and take care of me!” Mr. Gan recalled.
Since his girlfriend lived far away, Mr. Gan didn’t hesitate to pack up and travel thousands of miles to her hometown to make their dream of living together come true. But as soon as he got off the train, the scam was already in motion. His girlfriend and her accomplices didn’t take him home but instead brought him to the company headquarters, sweet-talking him into investing in some herbal product.
Trusting her completely, Mr. Gan signed a contract and paid 40,000 yuan (about 156 million VND) without hesitation. She painted a rosy picture: within three months, the company would help him earn over 100,000 yuan. She even promised to buy him a house and a luxury car in Chengdu. At 60, Mr. Gan believed his life was about to turn around from poverty to glory.
Harsh Reality: Girlfriend Vanishes, Man Survives on Wild Plants
The dream of wealth and happiness was short-lived. After paying, Mr. Gan saw no profit and soon faced financial ruin.
Suspecting foul play, his son secretly investigated and was shocked to find the company’s address was canceled or suspicious. When Mr. Gan frantically tried to contact his girlfriend for answers, she avoided him, cut off all meetings, claiming her mother was hospitalized, and then disappeared completely. Only then did he realize he had fallen into a “love and money lost” trap.
With no money for the trip home and too ashamed to face family, Mr. Gan had no choice but to stay and scrape by, surviving by picking wild plants in empty fields.
The Problem: Quick-Marriage Scams
Mr. Gan’s case isn’t unique. The matchmaking market today hides dark corners where scam groups team up with “actresses” to prey on single men who are naive or desperate for a family.
In Huaguoyuan (Guiyang), police have busted many matchmaking companies running “flash marriage” scams. Here are some examples:
Huang Hui (33, Jiangxi) spent 308,000 yuan (over 1 billion VND) on a matchmaking company to marry a woman named Li. The process was lightning fast: a morning meeting, payment, and marriage registration by afternoon. But just two days after getting the marriage certificate, his “wife” vanished. After reporting to police, he learned she was a drug addict, smoker, drinker, and this was her third marriage.
Wang Jun (33, Anhui) paid 216,000 yuan to marry a woman through an agent. Right after the wedding, she spent money recklessly, insulted him, then ran away. She had only married to exploit him financially.
Wang (37, Hubei) spent 283,000 yuan on a wife. After five months of fighting, a health check revealed she had syphilis. She had been married three times, had three children, and her huge debts were actually from loans for plastic surgery.
A Warning for the Gullible
These exposed romance and marriage scams show a highly organized crime model. Dirty matchmaking companies have two teams: one hunts women with bad backgrounds, debts, or gambling problems to be “bait,” and the other lures naive victims. They hide critical info like health history, debts, and bad habits to push contracts and collect illegal money. These scams have cheated victims out of millions of yuan.
Although authorities in many places have set up special task forces, investigated, prosecuted offenders, and shut down illegal matchmaking companies, the fight against these scams remains tough because of the blurry line between civil disputes and criminal fraud.
The story of the 60-year-old man surviving on wild plants and the tears of young men losing both love and money serve as costly lessons. When entering any relationship, especially online ones involving money, investments, or rushed marriage payments, staying alert and rational is the only way to protect yourself from these sugar-coated traps. Don’t let loneliness or eagerness for marriage turn you into prey for scammers.
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