The lonely Chinese men being conned by fake brides
A Chinese man describes being defrauded by a matchmaking agency that promised a traditional wife but provided a deceptive partner. The article links these 'flash wedding' scams to China's severe gender imbalance caused by historical demographic policies.
Why it matters
It highlights the social consequences of China's long-standing gender disparity and the rise of predatory practices targeting vulnerable, lonely men.
Figure caption, Watch: Chinese man targeted by 'flash wedding' scams
At 37, Wang Zhuang had almost given up hope of finding a wife, until he saw the glossy matchmaking adverts.
They promised he wouldn't have to waste years on building a relationship that had no future. They offered to introduce him to a demure, devoted woman.
"The matchmakers said that girls from Guizhou are frugal," Wang says. "They told me they are good at running a household, able to do housework, and their families are very poor, so after marrying into your family, they would settle down and live a life with you."
So Wang travelled to Guiyang, a city in the southwestern province of Guizhou, in the hope of finding his soulmate.
He thought he had, when he was matched with a woman who seemed to tick every box. They had only met a few times before they married.
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