A female streamer fell victim to a clever scam after thinking she had met a wealthy “CEO” who promised her a house and designer bags. In reality, she lost nearly 60,000 yuan after trusting his sweet words.

The elaborate scam: From promises of designer bags to a house

A streamer named Zhang initially believed she had found her “life-changing moment” during a livestream. A man claiming to be a “successful finance entrepreneur” said he fell for her at first sight. He promised to gift her luxury handbags and even a property. But the bags never arrived, the house was never mentioned again, and she ended up losing almost 60,000 yuan (about 235 million VND).

This wasn’t a TV drama plot but a real online scam recently uncovered by Putuo police. The suspect, Li, has been taken into custody under the law.

The sweet beginning

Zhang often livestreamed dancing on a social media platform. With her striking looks and figure, she attracted many fans. Recently, she received a private message from someone claiming to be Li, a finance boss, who spoke with flattering words: “I fell for you at first sight and hope we can take this further.”

Words weren’t enough for “Boss Li” who quickly offered her a designer handbag as a gift for their meeting. Zhang was probably touched, thinking she’d found her destiny. But then he suddenly changed his tune: “The bag is a gift, but you need to pay the 900 yuan shipping fee upfront.”

Paying 900 yuan for a luxury bag shipping seemed like a good deal. Zhang didn’t hesitate and transferred the money. After that, silence. No bag, not even a trace. Yet Zhang didn’t realize it was a trap, thinking it was just a minor hiccup.

The sophisticated asset grab

Soon after, “Boss Li” sent shocking news. He claimed he was seriously ill and had only about two years left to live. His only worry was his elderly mother.

He asked, “Can I entrust you to take care of my mother? You’re a good woman, I trust you.” In return, he promised to gift Zhang one of his properties. This emotional appeal moved Zhang deeply, making her fully trust him. She felt she had found love and a heavy responsibility.

Then came the usual tricks: “The house needs to be transferred to your name, so you must pay notarization fees,” “There’s also surveying fees,” “And fees for property transfer paperwork.” Zhang, hopeful for her “future inheritance” and trusting her “dying boyfriend,” sent money bit by bit. In total, she transferred nearly 60,000 yuan. When Li suddenly cut off all contact, Zhang was shocked awake. No finance tycoon, no dying man, no property, just a scam. She had been conned.

Police step in, the “finance boss” exposed

After the report, police launched an investigation. Tracing online activity and information, they found the account wasn’t a finance boss at all but a man named Li. After locating him in another province, officers monitored and staked out for two days and nights before arresting him.

Li confessed to his crime, telling a story both sad and ridiculous. He said he stumbled upon Zhang’s dance videos and was instantly attracted. But knowing he had no chance with her, he decided to scam money instead. He created a fake “finance boss” persona and started messaging her.

Designer bags? Fake. The house? Also fake. To make the act more convincing, he even created a fake assistant account to manipulate Zhang’s emotions. He used similar tricks on other female streamers too. The nearly 60,000 yuan he scammed was all spent on himself.

Li is now in Putuo police custody on suspicion of fraud. The case is still under investigation.

Source: 163