• Homeless man lives luxurious life by deceiving multiple women into believing he’s wealthy
• Police arrested the suspect after uncovering the fraud that targeted five victims

A homeless Chinese man managed to deceive others by pretending to be wealthy, scamming five women within ten days, using their money to visit luxury places, buy new clothes, and even acquire the latest smartphones.

The fraud was uncovered in August when the police in Putuo District, Shanghai, received a report from a woman named Liu Qian, who said she had fallen victim to a 36-year-old man named “Chen,” who claimed to be a nightclub owner.

Liu recounted that she worked as a local escort, accompanying Chen for dinners and visits to various entertainment venues, and that he had promised to pay her 3,500 yuan (around $500).

The following day, Chen came to her home with a black plastic bag, claiming it contained an amount between 50,000 and 60,000 yuan (around $7,000–$8,500).

Liu discovered after he left to take a call that the bag was filled with bank training papers, not real money.

Investigations revealed that Chen would visit upscale venues with different women, making them cover all expenses—including food, drinks, hotels, and taxis—while giving the impression that the large sums of money he displayed were real.

By the time they realized he was a fraudster, he had already disappeared.

To carry out his scheme, he used a secondary account to communicate in chat groups, posted “high-paying companionship” job offers, and displayed stacks of training papers with some real money on top and bottom to deceive his victims.

When he failed to find a new victim quickly, he fell into financial distress and spent nights on public park benches, waiting for the next morning to hunt for victims again.

Investigations showed that Chen defrauded five women, and he was officially arrested on charges of fraud.

This scam, reported by media outlets, sparked widespread discussion on social media in China.