A 19-year-old Chinese man from Zhanjiang in Guangdong province was sold by his teenage girlfriend to Myanmar scam operators for 100,000 yuan (~S$17,862).
The victim endured four months of brutal captivity before his family paid 350,000 yuan (~S$62,518) to secure his release.
Teenager Falls Victim to Elaborate Honeypot Scheme in China
The victim met his 17-year-old girlfriend at a pool hall. His older sister described the girl as someone who wore risqué outfits and carried what appeared to be counterfeit designer bags.
The 17-year-old claimed to be Hokkien, and told the victim her parents were investment managers.
She frequently mentioned her family’s business dealings in Myanmar. The girl repeatedly tried to convince the teenager to travel there with her for work opportunities.
“My brother was completely lovesick,” his sister told Xiaoxiang Morning Post. The victim had a tendency to fall head over heels for romantic partners.
In February 2025, the man secretly travelled to Bangkok, Thailand, with the girlfriend without informing his family. His relatives only discovered his whereabouts through WeChat status updates posted by his friends.
“Things started to feel off when we found out he was at the border,” the older sister recalled.
Near the Thai-Myanmar border, the girlfriend abandoned the 19-year-old. She claimed she needed to pick someone up and left without returning. Armed men immediately confiscated his passport and mobile phone.
The victim managed to contact his family briefly after retrieving his phone under the pretense of wanting to play mobile games. “My brother told me people with guns had taken him away,” his sister remembered.
Myanmar Scam Compound Captivity and Brutal Working Conditions
The scam operators transported the man to a compound where he was held captive for four months. Guards immediately shaved his head bald and threatened him with confinement in a small dark room if he failed to meet daily targets.
The captors forced him to work on “keyboard fraud” scams for 16 to 20 hours each day. He faced severe physical punishment for missing quotas or failing to complete successful scams.
Guards regularly struck his waist with metal rods and pinched his ears. The constant beatings targeting his head eventually caused permanent hearing loss. The compound provided insufficient food, leaving him perpetually hungry.
The victim lost at least 10kg during his four-month captivity.
Since he completed zero successful scams throughout his imprisonment, the operators demanded monetary compensation before allowing his return to China. His family spent months seeking help through various channels to secure his release.
The family eventually raised the required 350,000 yuan (~S$62,518) and paid the scam operators in June 2025.
Girlfriend Arrested as Victim Continues Recovery from Trauma
Police arrested the 17-year-old girlfriend after she returned to China following a ten-day vacation in Thailand. She faces fraud charges and prosecution for her role in the trafficking scheme.
Her trial was originally scheduled for late July but was postponed. Legal proceedings will commence soon.
The rescued teenager continues to experience nightmares and lives with constant anxiety about potential re-kidnapping.
The victim remains paranoid about being taken away again, according to his family.
“She’s only 17 years old. Who would have thought she could do something so evil?” his sister said. The family hopes the girlfriend will face the fullest extent of legal punishment.
“It’s unbelievable that she’s capable of such despicable acts despite being only 17,” the victim’s older sister added.
Would you be jailed for being half-naked in public? Well, the answer will shock you. Seriously. Watch this to the end and you'll understand:
