Wuxi 'love con artist' sentenced after swindling millions from over a dozen men

A woman in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, who used romantic relationships to deceive over a dozen men out of a staggering 4.48 million yuan ($625,000) has been sentenced to 11 years and 6 months in prison.

Qian, whose full name was not disclosed, built a web of lies across social media platforms and in person, simultaneously juggling relationships with up to a dozen victims, according to the Huishan District People's Procuratorate.

Posing as a wealthy and beautiful woman, Qian manipulated her victims with feigned love and elaborate deceptions. She forged property certificates, fabricated hospital bills, and invented investment opportunities to fleece her targets, the prosecutor's office said.

One victim, surnamed Jin, met Qian online in 2017 and fell in love. Over the next few years, Qian swindled him out of more than 1 million yuan by leveraging a combination of romance, fabricated illness, and promises of lucrative investments. Whenever Jin requested to meet in person, Qian would concoct convenient excuses to avoid him.

Her lies were finally exposed when Jin went to Wuxi to look for Qian. After finding out where she lived, he asked her neighbors and learned that she was already married.

Qian's fraudulent schemes extended beyond her romantic interests. She also targeted colleagues by promising high-yield investment products, further inflating her illicit gains.

Her 12-year con operation netted her $625,000, squandered on debt repayment and lavish purchases of jewelry and jade. An investigation identified 16 victims.

Following prosecution by the procuratorial organ, Qian received her sentence alongside a 200,000 yuan fine. The jewelry and other seized items will be proportionally returned to victims after judicial auction.