A 19-year-old man from Zhanjiang, Guangdong province was sold to Myanmar scam operators by his teenage girlfriend for 100,000 yuan (~S$17,862).
The victim spent four months in captivity before his family paid 350,000 yuan (~S$62,518) for his release.
Meeting and Manipulation
The man met his 17-year-old girlfriend at a pool hall. His sister described the girl as someone who wore revealing clothing and carried what appeared to be fake designer bags.
The teenager claimed to be Hokkien. She told the victim her parents worked as investment managers.
She frequently mentioned her family’s business dealings in Myanmar. The girl repeatedly pushed the teenager to travel there with her for work opportunities.
“My brother was completely lovesick,” his sister told Xiaoxiang Morning Post. The victim had a pattern of falling hard for romantic partners.
Secret Trip to Thailand
In February 2025, the man secretly traveled to Bangkok, Thailand with the girlfriend. He did not tell his family about the trip. His relatives discovered his location through WeChat status updates posted by his friends.
“Things started to feel off when we found out he was at the border,” the older sister said.
Abandonment and Capture
Near the Thai-Myanmar border, the girlfriend abandoned the 19-year-old. She claimed she needed to pick someone up and left without returning. Armed men immediately took his passport and mobile phone.
The victim contacted his family briefly after retrieving his phone under the pretense of wanting to play mobile games. “My brother told me people with guns had taken him away,” his sister said.
Captivity and Forced Labor
Scam operators transported the man to a compound where he remained captive for four months. Guards shaved his head bald and threatened him with confinement in a small dark room if he failed to meet daily targets.
The captors forced him to work on “keyboard fraud” scams for 16 to 20 hours each day. He faced severe physical punishment for missing quotas or failing to complete successful scams.
Guards regularly struck his waist with metal rods and pinched his ears. The constant beatings targeting his head caused permanent hearing loss. The compound provided insufficient food, leaving him perpetually hungry.
The victim lost at least 10kg during his four-month captivity.
He completed zero successful scams throughout his imprisonment. The operators demanded monetary compensation before allowing his return to China. His family spent months seeking help through various channels.
The family raised the required 350,000 yuan (~S$62,518) and paid the scam operators in June 2025.
Arrests and Ongoing Recovery
Police arrested the 17-year-old girlfriend after she returned to China following a ten-day vacation in Thailand. She faces fraud charges and prosecution for her role in the trafficking scheme.
Her trial was originally scheduled for late July but was postponed. Legal proceedings will commence soon.
The rescued teenager continues to experience nightmares and lives with constant anxiety about potential re-kidnapping.
The victim remains paranoid about being taken away again, according to his family.
“She’s only 17 years old. Who would have thought she could do something so evil?” his sister said. The family hopes the girlfriend will face the fullest extent of legal punishment.
