2024-07-08 19:37:54
A man surnamed Zhang was sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison and fined $35,000 for defrauding his girlfriend of $360,000 over six years.
Zhang met his future victim, a mall employee named Huang, in 2016, posing as a graduate of a prestigious medical school and an obstetrician-gynecologist at a well-known Shanghai hospital. Despite their romantic relationship, Zhang never allowed Huang into his workplace, inventing new excuses each time.
Over time, the man began using his fake status as a doctor to gain Huang’s trust and ask for money, ostensibly to pay off debts caused by his gambling addiction. Huang’s desire to “help” her lover cost her a huge financial loss when Zhang convinced her to invest in a fake stock fund intended to buy a house.
The fraud was uncovered when Huang’s family, worried about her finances, conducted their own investigation and found that Zhang had never worked at the hospital. The case sparked widespread discussion on social media, with users expressing sympathy for the deceived woman.