A 19-year-old boy from China thought he had found love, but instead, he was sold by his 17-year-old girlfriend to a scam syndicate in Myanmar for CNY100,000 (about USD$14,000).
A romance built on deception
According to 8World News, the victim’s sister revealed that he first met the teenage girl last year at a recreational centre. She stood out for her flashy appearance, often dressed provocatively and carrying branded handbags — though many appeared to be counterfeits.
She boasted that her parents were investment managers involved in businesses across Myanmar, and repeatedly urged the victim to join her there for “work opportunities.” But his sister noted that he was prone to falling for people quickly, describing him as a “typical love-sick person” who easily trusted others.
A trip to Thailand turns into a nightmare
In February, the boy secretly travelled with the girl to Bangkok without telling his family. They only discovered his whereabouts after seeing his posts on social media.
Not long after, she lured him toward the Thailand-Myanmar border under the pretense of picking someone up. Instead, she abandoned him.
Moments later, an armed man appeared, seizing his passport and phone before forcing him across the border into Myanmar. His head was shaved and he was confined in a scam compound.
Four months of abuse
Inside, he was ordered to work 16 to 20 hours a day operating online scams. Failure to meet daily targets resulted in brutal punishment. He was beaten with metal rods, locked in pitch-black rooms, and denied food.
Desperate, he tricked his captors into returning his phone by pretending he wanted it for mobile games. With it, he managed to alert his family:
“My brother told me people with guns had taken him away,” his sister recounted.
His suffering lasted four months. By the time he was released, the repeated beatings and starvation had left him with permanent hearing loss.
A ransom for freedom
The syndicate demanded money in exchange for his release, claiming he had not earned enough through scams. His family scraped together CNY350,000 (about USD$48,000) to secure his freedom. Finally, in June, he was allowed to return home.
The girlfriend’s arrest
Meanwhile, the 17-year-old girl was arrested after returning to China, following a short stay in Thailand. She now faces fraud charges and awaits trial.
The boy’s family says he is still deeply traumatized, plagued by nightmares and paranoia that he may be taken again. They hope that the girl will face severe punishment for betraying him and for the suffering she caused. His sister remarked, “She’s just 17, yet capable of something so cruel.”
This disturbing case highlights the ruthless tactics of trafficking and scam syndicates operating along the Thailand-Myanmar border — and serves as a grim reminder of how love can be exploited as a weapon for manipulation.
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