'Funeral money' gets man in trouble with police

By Chen Qian  |   2008-10-15  |     ONLINE EDITION

A MAN was caught trying to remit “funeral money” with a face value of 100,000 yuan (US$14,706) yesterday in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, Information Daily reported today.

Funeral money is false paper currency that is burned as an offering to dead people to ensure they have money in the afterworld.

The man, surnamed Ma, said he didn't know it was funeral money, according to the report.

He told police he went to the bank at the request of his friend surnamed He. The man didn't check the money carefully because he trusted his friend.

Funeral money is the same color and size as 100 yuan notes, the report said. One side of the funeral money notes says "Heaven and Earth Bank Ltd."

Ma, about 30 years old, told police he is from Yunnan Province and that he came to Nanchang recently to do some business in the tea industry with He. The money belonged to He, according to the report.

Ma said He introduced two business partners to him on October 8 and that he received the bundle of 100,000 yuan in funeral money from them that day. Ma was told the money was needed for a tea deal.

"He asked me to remit the money to a Fujian seller," Ma was quoted as saying.

At 4:50pm yesterday, Ma arrived at a bank for the remittance and was caught. Bank officials said they have never seen or heard of such a case before.

According to Chinese law, it is illegal to make funeral money the same size and color as genuine currency.