Related News
Prison for property-scam man
By Xu Fang |
September 12, 2009, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A HONG Kong man was jailed for seven years in Shanghai yesterday for aiding and abetting his wife, who falsely claimed to be director of the investment department of the municipal government, in defrauding more than 8 million yuan (US$1.17 million) from a woman.
The wife, Li Qin, a local woman, received a life sentence for defrauding 9.84 million yuan from four victims in the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People's Court in March 2008.
The couple were both ordered to return all proceedings from the scams.
Hu Chongming, 59, and Li, 52, registered for marriage in Hong Kong in 2003. Li then claimed to be the Shanghai investment director and showed false documentation to prove it.
At first, Hu did not know the employment paperwork was fake and was unaware of the first two incidents of fraud, the court said yesterday.
But then Hu helped Li to dupe the biggest victim, a woman who suffered a loss of 8.46 million yuan, after he learned of his wife's earlier scams.
Hu introduced the victim surnamed Liu, whose daughter is a Hong Kong actress, to Li in 2005.
Hu told Liu that Li was the city investment director.
He showed Liu an invitation with the signature of disgraced Chen Liangyu, the Shanghai Party Secretary of that time, to prove her identity.
Hu later said his wife could help Liu buy properties in a downtown residential community at prices much lower than the market price.
She also promised to recommend Liu's daughter to be ambassador of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, making her eligible for "rewards including an apartment and a BMW sedan," the court was told.
Liu was hooked and paid 8.46 million yuan to buy the real estate.
Li handed over fake real estate trade contracts and bogus keys.
When Liu became suspicious, she demanded her money back.
Liu contacted police when efforts to retrieve her money proved in vain.
In earlier property scams, Li defrauded 606,000 yuan from a woman and 730,000 yuan from a couple.
The wife, Li Qin, a local woman, received a life sentence for defrauding 9.84 million yuan from four victims in the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People's Court in March 2008.
The couple were both ordered to return all proceedings from the scams.
Hu Chongming, 59, and Li, 52, registered for marriage in Hong Kong in 2003. Li then claimed to be the Shanghai investment director and showed false documentation to prove it.
At first, Hu did not know the employment paperwork was fake and was unaware of the first two incidents of fraud, the court said yesterday.
But then Hu helped Li to dupe the biggest victim, a woman who suffered a loss of 8.46 million yuan, after he learned of his wife's earlier scams.
Hu introduced the victim surnamed Liu, whose daughter is a Hong Kong actress, to Li in 2005.
Hu told Liu that Li was the city investment director.
He showed Liu an invitation with the signature of disgraced Chen Liangyu, the Shanghai Party Secretary of that time, to prove her identity.
Hu later said his wife could help Liu buy properties in a downtown residential community at prices much lower than the market price.
She also promised to recommend Liu's daughter to be ambassador of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, making her eligible for "rewards including an apartment and a BMW sedan," the court was told.
Liu was hooked and paid 8.46 million yuan to buy the real estate.
Li handed over fake real estate trade contracts and bogus keys.
When Liu became suspicious, she demanded her money back.
Liu contacted police when efforts to retrieve her money proved in vain.
In earlier property scams, Li defrauded 606,000 yuan from a woman and 730,000 yuan from a couple.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
