In a bizarre case that could’ve come straight out of a drama series, a young Chinese woman in Hebei province tied the knot with a man she barely knew — only to disappear less than two days later with over S$60,000 worth of wedding gifts and dowry cash. To make matters worse, it was later revealed that she was pregnant… but not with the groom’s child.
Wedding Scam Unfolds in Just One Weekend
The woman, surnamed Lu, reportedly in her late twenties, was already on China’s list of “dishonest defaulters” after failing to repay debts from gambling. Facing mounting pressure, she allegedly came up with a scheme to marry a man and use his wedding money to settle her outstanding dues.
Introduced through a matchmaker, Lu met Zhao, a man from the neighbouring town. They quickly arranged a wedding for January 24 last year. To pull off the scam, Lu allegedly hired people to pose as her parents and participated in wedding negotiations with Zhao’s family, eventually agreeing to a bride price and various ceremonial payments totalling ¥320,000 (about S$60,300).
The day after the wedding, Lu claimed she had to leave urgently for Tianjin to “chase debts”, but she never returned. Zhao’s family tried to reach her, but she had vanished — along with the entire dowry.
Lavish Lies and a Not-So-Innocent Bump
Investigations later found that Lu had been in an ongoing relationship with another man and was already pregnant before she even met Zhao. She allegedly used the money to pay off gambling debts and splurged on personal expenses. Some reports suggest she had already been married previously and had a child from that union.
During the trial, Lu admitted to using marriage as a cover to get quick money, saying she owed “about ¥400,000 to ¥500,000” (up to S$94,000) due to mahjong and gambling losses. She claimed the groom was merely a means to an end — a fast way to get cash and disappear.
Jail Time and Appeal Dismissed
Lu was eventually arrested in April last year and charged with fraud. A district court sentenced her to five years in prison and imposed a ¥50,000 (≈ S$9,400) fine. The court also ordered her to return whatever money was left to the victim’s family. Lu appealed, claiming the sentence was too harsh. However, in May this year, the Hebei High Court dismissed her appeal and upheld the original ruling, stating that her partial repayment did not justify leniency.
Lesson Learnt: Love Is Not Always What It Seems
This case has sparked conversations online across China and Southeast Asia, with netizens calling it “the most expensive 48-hour relationship” and “a masterclass in deception”. While arranged marriages and bride prices are still common in parts of Asia, this incident serves as a cautionary tale about rushing into relationships and mixing love with large sums of money.
For now, Zhao is left not only heartbroken, but also financially devastated — having lost both a wife and a small fortune, all in the blink of an eye.