Man arrested for defrauding housekeeper in elaborate scam

A man in Ziyang, Sichuan province, faces fraud charges after allegedly swindling over 400,000 yuan ($55,600) from his housekeeper for personal expenses.

The Yanjiang district branch of the Ziyang Public Security Bureau identified the suspect with the surname Zeng. He reportedly hired the housekeeper, surnamed Zhu, in June 2023 for cooking and childcare, paying her a monthly salary of 5,000 yuan.

Gaining Zhu's trust, Zeng offered a fabricated money-making scheme on a short video platform. Claiming to run the platform's management company, he promised to increase her online sales by asking for an initial investment of 32,000 yuan.

Zhu, believing his claims, borrowed and withdrew funds to pay Zeng. He then manipulated her into taking out additional loans and transferring them to him under various pretenses, claiming they were needed for boosting online exposure and securing a housing lottery spot for her family.

In total, Zeng deceived Zhu out of 437,000 yuan related to the housing scheme and over 42,000 yuan for the promised online business venture. When Zhu confronted him about the inactive platform account and unfulfilled promises, she realized she was a victim of fraud and reported Zeng to the police in November.

Investigation revealed Zeng's history of theft and confirmed his fraudulent activities between July and November. He confessed to manipulating Zhu for personal financial gain and spending the stolen money on himself.

The case remains under investigation.