Popular culture would have us believe that it’s usually women tricking men into marrying them, but as it turns out, the reality is quite the opposite in China.
A 21-year-old Hong Kong woman, who does not want to be identified, claims that a false posting for an apprenticeship acted as a ruse to marry her off to a stranger in mainland China. Officials say this is a new type of scam.
READ MORE: Online purchase scams and wire fraud top list of scams for 2017
The woman responded to a Facebook posting for a makeup artist apprenticeship in May, only to be convinced by the company to switch her focus to wedding planning, which she was told would be more profitable. As part of the final “exam,” she would have to take part in a mock wedding.
She then travelled from Hong Kong to Fuzhou, Fujian province, where she was wed to a man “of a similar age” in a government office. The ceremony also included a marriage license that the woman was assured would not be valid.
It wasn’t until her return to Hong Kong, where a friend convinced her that she had been duped into marrying a stranger, that she realized the wedding was legitimate.
The woman first went to police to seek assistance, but when they showed little interest in her case, she approached the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (FTU).
READ MORE: GTA woman says she was scammed by fake job posting
Tong Kang-yiu, director of the Rights and Benefits Committee of the FTU, confirmed that the woman had been tricked.
“It’s a new form of marriage scam,” he told the BBC. “I feel disappointed and cannot believe it’s even happening in modern Hong Kong.”
He declined to say whether the motivation for the scam is to allow mainland residents to move to Hong Kong. Mainland residents with a spouse in Hong Kong are entitled to a one-way permit to move to the city; only 150 permits are issued per day.
“The police failed to handle the case instantly. We need to give the police more pressure to take this problem seriously,” Tong said. “We handed the case to the police for investigation. We are still waiting for advice from lawyers for further action.”
For now, the unnamed 21-year-old remains married to the stranger, and it’s unknown if he’s made any effort to enter Hong Kong. It seems her only recourse at this point is to file for divorce.
READ MORE: ‘I almost called off my wedding’: Bride and groom say they were scammed by wedding planner
“The 21-year-old lady was taken advantage of while she knew nothing about the circumstances,” Tong said. “Her biggest loss is to have a marriage record and it has caused her psychological damage.”
Hong Kong police say they see an average of 1,000 cross-border marriage scams every year. Last week, three people leading a ring that lured young Hong Kong residents into sham marriages were convicted of fraud.
Comments