Man, 19, from China sold to Myanmar scam ring by girlfriend for S$17,862, forced to work on scams

A Chinese man, 19, thought he had found himself a girlfriend.

Turns out, he was hooked in a honeypot scheme and trafficked to a scam compound in Myanmar after being sold by his partner for S$17,862.

Over four months, he was forced to carry out scams for 16 to 20 hours a day.

By the time he was rescued, he had lost 10kg and his hearing due to frequent beatings.

Meeting his 'girlfriend'

According to 8World News, the victim is a 19-year-old male from Zhanjiang in Guangdong, China.

Recounting the episode, the young man's older sister said her brother met the 17-year-old girl while playing table tennis.

The older sister claimed that the girl often wore risqué outfits and accessorised herself with branded bags that appeared to be counterfeit.

The 17-year-old claimed to be Hokkien and that her parents were investment managers.

She would tell the 19-year-old that her family had businesses in Myanmar, and would try to coax him to travel there with her for work.

According to the older sister, the 19-year-old had a penchant for falling head over heels for someone.

Trafficked after Thailand trip

In February 2025, the man travelled to Bangkok, Thailand, with the "girlfriend" behind his family's back.

The family only found out about his whereabouts through WeChat status updates of his friends.

"Things started to feel off when we found out he was at the border," the older sister said.

Near the border, the "girlfriend" lied that she was going to pick someone up and left without returning, abandoning the 19-year-old, 8World News wrote.

His passport and phone were taken away.

He managed to alert his family after getting his phone back under the guise of wanting to play mobile games.

"My brother told me people with guns had taken him away," she recalled.

Shaved bald, coerced to work on scam

The man was then brought to a scam compound and held captive.

There, he was shaved bald and threatened with confinement in a small dark room if he did not meet the target.

Each day, the man was forced to work between 16 to 20 hours on scams.

He would frequently have his waist struck with a metal rod and ears pinched.

Without sufficient food, he was also left hungry.

He eventually lost his hearing after prolonged physical abuse.

Had to pay to go free

As he had failed to succeed in any scams, the man was told to pay monetary compensation to return home.

His family raised S$62,518, securing the man's release in June.

The 17-year-old girl was eventually arrested on her return to China, after spending 10 days in Thailand.

She faces fraud charges and her trial, originally scheduled for July, will commence soon.

Traumatised by the ordeal, the man would have frequent nightmares and remains paranoid about being taken away, 8World News wrote.

The victim's family hopes that the 17-year-old will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law.

"It's unbelievable that she's capable of such despicable acts despite being only 17," the man's older sister said.

Top image via 蜡笔超新 / Xiaohongshu