China boyfriend in hot water after giving girlfriend US$97,000 in fake cash to buy flat to keep future in-laws happy
- Boyfriend buys bank training coupons online, wants to purchase home for girlfriend
- She finds suitcase filled with mock money, takes to bank then police, boyfriend held
A man in China who deliberately bought 700,000 yuan (US$97,000) in fake cash to meet his future in-laws’ request to buy their daughter a flat, was detained by police after his girlfriend thought he had been scammed when she found the money.
On April 11, in Gucheng, Hubei province, central China, a woman carrying a suitcase purportedly filled with cash went to the police station to file a complaint, according to Star Video.
She explained that she had tried to deposit the cash her boyfriend had given her at the bank, where she discovered it was not real.
When the police looked inside the suitcase they found that only the top bill of each bundle looked like real currency, while the rest were all coupons used for the training of bank staff, according to the report.
During questioning, the man admitted he had resorted to deception because of pressure from his girlfriend’s parents to buy their daughter a flat.
“Her parents wanted me to buy her a flat, but I could not come up with that much money at the time, so I bought these papers online,” he admitted.
Under Chinese Criminal Law, knowingly possessing or using counterfeit currency in substantial amounts can result in imprisonment for more than 10 years, along with a fine of up to 500,000 yuan (US$70,000).
However, since training coupons are not classified as counterfeit currency, the man was not charged.
So far, the police have only reprimanded and educated him.
The incident, which has sparked a heated discussion, was met with mixed reactions.
Many people expressed sympathy for the woman, commending her wise decision to go to the police.
“If he did not have the money, he should have just said so, instead of resorting to such deceit,” said one person.
“The girl would rather believe her boyfriend was scammed than think he was deceiving her,” another person said.
“The girl is really smart. If she had confronted him directly, he might have insisted the money was real or claimed back the supposed 700,000 yuan after a break-up. Reporting him to the police was indeed the best choice,” wrote a third online observer.
Others focused on the bizarre behaviour of both the girl’s family and the man, saying: “On the one hand, the family sells their daughter for 700,000 yuan. On the other, the boyfriend fakes 700,000 yuan with training coupons. Who’s more absurd?”
