Fraud charges laid in coffee shop scam

By Yang Lifei  |   2008-7-4  |     ONLINE EDITION

FOUR people were charged with fraud for allegedly forcing a Swedish businessman to pay a 4,966-yuan (US$709) bill for drinks at a Manabe Coffee shop along Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall, the Huangpu District Prosecutor's Office said.

Prosecutors said the four suspects including Yang Rong, the 38-year-old shop operator, and his wife Luo Wei, hired young women who would lure foreigners to his coffee bar on the third floor of Brilliance Shimao International Plaza. The foreigners would then be charged an outrageous sum of money, prosecutors said.

Tea or soft drinks that usually sell for about 10 yuan were priced at 360 yuan each after the drinks were passed off as 30-year old Glenfiddich whisky.

On November 27, two women employees, Zhang Haiyan and Cai Liying, allegedly met the victim, who prosecutors identified as Peter, near a metro entrance on Nanjing Road W. He is a department manager at OMX Group, Sweden's biggest Stock Exchange and was on a group business trip to the city at that time, prosecutors said.

The women were dressed like university students and asked whether they could be his free tour guides and practice their English. Peter went with them to the Manabe coffee shop.

According to prosecutors, they first ordered some beverages, snacks and fruits. When the businessman took a phone call, Zhang quickly ordered 12 "whiskies."

Peter asked for the bill at 10pm and Luo handed over an invoice with a total of 4,966 yuan. Under pressure and feeling less than happy, the businessman paid for the drinks with a credit card, prosecutors said.

Zhang and Cai earned illegal profits of 1,250 yuan each from Luo, prosecutors said.

The next day the victim told his tour guide about the incident and the scam made headlines in a local newspaper.

The Haungpu District Public Security Bureau immediately set up a special task force to investigate the Manabe outlet and launched an intensive campaign against similar scams along Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall.