In Shenzhen, 36 men claim they were deceived by the same woman, who pretended to be romantically interested in them before persuading them to purchase apartments in a nearby city. The woman, who identified herself as Liu Jia, directed them toward two residential complexes in Huizhou, a city about 90 kilometers from Shenzhen, according to local reports.
One of the victims, using the alias Atao, recounted how he met Liu on a dating platform in March last year and was quickly drawn to her. He described her as tender, virtuous, and family-oriented, believing she was the perfect partner. Liu claimed to be 30 years old, originally from Hunan province, and working in Shenzhen’s e-commerce industry. Within a month of dating, the couple discussed marriage, and she insisted he buy a home before taking their relationship further.
To push him into purchasing, Liu even offered to contribute 30,000 yuan (US$4,000) toward the down payment and strongly recommended properties in two specific complexes: Jiu Jing Tai and Hao Yi Shang Yuan. At the time, developers were offering housing subsidies of over 100,000 yuan (US$14,000), making the investment seem even more appealing.
After completing the purchase, Atao noticed a change in Liu’s behavior. She refused to add her name to the ownership certificate and became distant. Soon after, she cut off all contact. Another victim, Wang, shared a similar experience. After he bought a home, Liu started avoiding him, claiming to be busy, before eventually blocking his calls and deleting him from her contacts.
Atao later discovered that 36 men, all in their 30s and working in Shenzhen, had fallen for the same deception. Each of them dated Liu for just one or two months before she convinced them to buy property. For Atao, the scam left him burdened with a mortgage of 4,100 yuan (US$560) per month, on top of rent in Shenzhen and financial responsibilities toward his parents. He admitted that the experience has made him hesitant to enter another relationship.
It remains unclear whether authorities are investigating the matter, but Liu’s actions have sparked intense debate on Chinese social media. Some users joked that she should be crowned the top salesperson for the real estate developers, while others criticized the victims for trusting someone they had only known for a short period.
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