`Lecherous' man arrested over swindling scam

By Yang Lifei  |   2008-12-12  |     ONLINE EDITION

POLICE in Shaanxi Province have arrested an unemployed man who allegedly cheated seven women out of more than 70,000 yuan (US$10,200) combined after meeting them through an online matchmaking agency.

Wang Zhenbo, the 35-year-old suspect, was caught by police on December 8 in Xi'an City, the provincial capital. He allegedly told police that he was just lecherous and liked to pursue excitement.

Wang used a special cell phone that could make his voice sound like an adult woman. He used the handset to pretend to be his mother while talking to potential girlfriends from the matchmaking agency, according to Chinese Business View.

Police said they have only found three victims and appealed to the other four women to contact them as soon as possible by calling 029-83553180, according to the newspaper.

One of the victims, an unidentified divorced woman, met Wang via an online matchmaking agency in September. He claimed he was divorced and worked as deputy director of a property company with an annual income of 500,000 yuan to 1 million yuan. After viewing the man's photo and his presentation online, the woman, a shop assistant in Xi'an, considered him someone she could depend on, the newspaper said.

During following online chat sessions, the woman was told his parents were in Singapore. They met for the first time on October 14 when Wang invited the woman and her friends to a karaoke bar that night. The man shed tears while singing songs, which deeply touched the woman and her friends. They all regarded him as an affectionate person and that marrying him would bring her much happiness, the report said.

On October 20, when Wang met her the second time, he proposed they get married. Three days later the woman introduced Wang to her family and the man stayed at the woman's house that night. On October 31, Wang asked to borrow money from the woman because he needed to buy gifts for some project partners. She agreed to lend him 18,000 yuan.