The online dating and matchmaking industry is expanding rapidly around the world as people spend more time connected to their devices than in social circles. This growing reliance on digital platforms for choosing life partners has led to a surge in fraudulent activities within the industry. China, in particular, is one of the countries most affected by these deceptive practices in the online matchmaking business.
According to the South China Morning Post, a group of matchmaking companies in southwestern China has come under police scrutiny for defrauding desperate single men out of significant sums of money, while some women posed as potential brides in the scam. Some of these women earned as much as 300,000 yuan (Rs 35 lakh) within months.
According to a statement from a court in Guiyang, Guizhou province, released in September, a police station in the Huaguoyuan area has received 180 reports of matchmaking fraud since March last year.
What Are 'Flash' Marriages And Divorces?
As per SCMP, just days after male clients met the women arranged by the agency, they agreed to marry. They were instructed to sign contracts with the agency and pay hundreds of thousands of yuan as a bride price.
These marriages are referred to as "flash weddings" because the brides would often flee, vanish, or pressure the men into divorce through various means, including frequent conflicts after a brief period together.
A person who had already worked as former customer service representative at one of the agencies before the police raid said that there was no shortage of male customers.
"We do not worry about the source of male customers at all. There are many across the country," the worker was quoted as saying. "We can select a male customer for blind dates from 40 to 50 candidates every day."
He noted that following the intensified crackdown by Guiyang authorities, some of these agencies had relocated their operations to nearby Yunnan province.
