14 DAY TRIAL // A Chinese fraudster created a fake identity and claimed to possess superhuman powers in order to steal money from her victims.
Little is known about the real identity of the con-woman, as she is referred only as Ms. Yang.
The 54-year-old con artist faces trial in Beijing for reportedly deceiving several people and robbing them of at least £12,000 ($19,900 / €14,556) by posing as a “superhuman” police agent and Communist Party official called Mr. Li.
As reported by the Independent, Ms. Yang managed to trick two female lovers and one pensioner into believing she was an official who worked for Interpol and the Chinese Ministry of Finance. She also pretended to have the ability to disappear.
Her adventure as Mr. Li began in early 2013, when she obtained fake documents in order to gain access to an internet forum for middle-aged singletons. On that forum, she purported to be law enforcement official who possessed powers of invisibility.
Although her story seemed rather far-fetched, the fraudster managed to seduce two women and a pensioner taking advantage of their credulity. Her first victim was Ms. Zhang, a 48-year-old woman who entered in a relationship with Mr. Li in March 2013. She was instantly charmed and the couple moved in together.
In order to make her lies credible and continue with her story, Ms. Yang even cut her hair short and deepened her voice. She told Ms. Zhang stories about how Mr. Li had solved important Interpol cases using his superhuman powers.
Ms. Zhang was instantly taken in, so when the fraudster told her she had lost her wallet and needed money for some official meetings, the unsuspecting victim lent her no less than £11,840 ($19,740 / €14,360). Mr Li promised to return the debt, but instead he vanished forever from Ms. Zhang's life.
The trickster's campaign of deceit came to light last August, when the victim discovered she had been sharing a bed with a fraudster who was in fact a woman.