In a completely screwed-up tale of ‘woman empowerment’, a Shenzhen woman has been accused of defrauding 36 men out of money to buy apartments after pretending to date them, reports the South China Morning Post. She had induced them to invest in two housing estates in Huizhou, some 90 kilometers away.
One of them, who spoke on condition of anonymity using the pseudonym Atao, related how he had met Liu Jia on a dating app in March last year. He fell in love fast, finding her “tender, virtuous, family-oriented, and considerate.” Liu, who said she was 30 years old and from Hunan, was employed in Shenzhen’s e-commerce sector. She proposed marriage after a month of dating and insisted that Atao buy a house before he met her parents or they cohabited. She even proposed giving 30,000 yuan (approximately Rs. 3.3 lakh) towards the down payment and highly suggested two residential blocks at Huizhou, where there were huge subsidies being offered by developers.
After Atao purchased the apartment, Liu refused to be included in the certificate of ownership and immediately distanced herself. Another victim, Wang by surname, related a similar incident, stating, “After purchasing the house, Liu Jia did not dare to meet with me citing busyness as an excuse. She cut my number off her contact list.”
Atao Cons 36 Men
Atao claims that at least 36 men, all in their 30s and working in Shenzhen, fell victim to this scheme, each dating Liu for only one or two months. He now faces financial struggles, paying a monthly home loan of 4,100 yuan (around Rs. 35,000), in addition to rent and his parents’ expenses. “I dare not have a girlfriend now,” he admitted.
The case has ignited a heated controversy on Chinese social media, with some netizens jokingly referring to Liu as the “sales champion of a real estate developer.” Others lashed out at the men, one stating, “These men are too careless. They trusted someone whom they knew for only a month.”
