D1.1 International Student Scammed Out of £1 Million

Reminder: Just saw a sister expose that a Chinese international student currently studying in HND (Coventry University) at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics has defrauded other Chinese students studying in the UK of over 1 million RMB, and is still continuing to scam.

All incidents have happened recently this year.

The scammer’s receiving accounts include WeChat Pay, Alipay, and bank cards registered under the real name "Li Quan" (Note: This may involve stolen identity information of genuine international students—details of a case will be explained later).

The scammer "Li Quan" posts on social platforms such as WeChat groups and Weibo, offering "30%-70% off for tuition and accommodation payment, and purchasing various items on behalf", but actually commits credit card fraud by stealing others’ card information.

I have repeatedly warned about this type of scam in various places as early as 2016 or some other year—including in more than a dozen 500-person WeChat groups for UK universities that I established at that time. Because my study-abroad reminders were so well-written, many Chinese businesses, students, and other organizations directly copied and pasted them to their own groups, official WeChat accounts, Weibo, and other social platforms. Some group owners were even more outrageous—they didn’t change my username at all and just copied everything. Since my online alias was used, they probably didn’t notice and just reused it as-is [sigh].

Never trust offers like discounted air tickets, tuition fees, or accommodation payments at low prices. This is illegal because it may involve stolen credit card information.

If I remember correctly, around 2019 or 2020, a Chinese international student bought a discounted air ticket that was actually purchased with a stolen credit card. In the end, they were not only fined a huge amount but also blacklisted.

Now, I want to share a classic fraud case that occurred in Coventry and Sheffield, UK.

As an aside—many people don’t know who I am. So who am I? I’m the charming, versatile, and self-proclaimed "UK Study Abroad Ambassador" with hundreds of online aliases: Qingjun Shishengmiao [meow meow]. Why did I choose "Shishengmiao" back then? Simply because I had to enter a name when registering on Weibo, so I randomly typed it on the keyboard. It’s completely meaningless—and as the saying goes, "the meaning of being meaningless is the most important meaning." This shows how carefully I chose the name; even though I wanted to change it later, I held back [doge].

Back to the case:

Case Background

The scammer is a master’s graduate of Coventry University who graduated sometime between 2012 and 2014. He completed his undergraduate studies at a university in Sheffield—either the University of Sheffield or Sheffield Hallam University (I can’t remember exactly).

During his undergraduate studies in Sheffield, he rented a house from a local Chinese person. After moving in, he discovered that the two-story townhouse had been renovated from 4 rooms into 7, each rented to Chinese international students. Through conversations with other students, he learned that room prices varied—some included utilities (water, electricity, gas, internet), while others didn’t—but all required a one-time payment of six months’ or a year’s rent. He then inquired about rental prices with local British agencies and found there was a profit margin to exploit. This sparked his idea of becoming a sub-landlord.

In no time, he connected with several strangers online through social platforms in Sheffield and they hit it off. The group included fellow international students and Chinese workers in the UK. Initially, there were three people; later, he brought his idle, unmotivated good friend from China—who dreamed of getting rich quick—to join the "business." (Aside: Such touching brotherhood QAQ [thinking])

At first, the scammer only wanted to earn extra money while studying in the UK. But the money came too quickly and easily. He noticed that many new students, like little white rabbits, trusted Chinese people in the UK deeply. So he abandoned his conscience and became a greedy scammer. This transformation perfectly confirms Marx’s famous theory written over a century ago: "Capitalists are afraid of no profit or too little profit, just as nature fears a vacuum. As long as there is sufficient profit, capital will be bold. For 10% profit, it is guaranteed to be used everywhere; for 20% profit, it becomes active; for 50% profit, it takes desperate risks; for 100% profit, it dares to trample all human laws; for 300% profit, it dares to commit any crime, even risking hanging."

Driven by 100% profit, this scammer continued to violate both British and Chinese laws in the UK for years. His model was so successful that many others with evil intentions imitated him, joining the scam and defrauding waves of new international students out of tens of millions of RMB.

Case Process

Step 1: Recruit Partners

For any endeavor, partners share risks and expand profits. So, are there any wealthy friends willing to partner with me to make a fortune overnight [wow]?

Let’s simply name the four partners "Guo (Pot), Wan (Bowl), Piao (Ladle), and Pen (Basin)" for clarity. The ringleader scammer is "Guo"—though he won’t take the blame for others, he’s skilled at framing others and even making those who take the blame unknowingly help him "cook up more trouble." Enjoying snacks and drinks while watching others take the fall—what a divine life [sarcasm].

Step 2: Division of Labor

As the saying goes: "One person can only do small things at a time; a group can do multiple small things, and together those small things become a big undertaking. Clear division of labor is essential for efficient development in big projects." So, are there any wealthy friends willing to partner with me to make a fortune overnight [longing]?

After recruiting partners online, they divided responsibilities:

• "Wan (Bowl)" was responsible for finding properties. Through major UK agencies and rental platforms, he only approached landlords who agreed to monthly or quarterly payments. He negotiated long-term contracts (3, 5, or 10 years) to secure the lowest rent and additional rights—including permission to sublet and renovate the property. This was their initial approach; after signing the lease, he hired workers for renovations and supervision.
• "Piao (Ladle)" handled promotion across various platforms. He first bought dozens of phone numbers, then registered multiple fake social media accounts—at one point, he had over 70 WeChat accounts. Later, as WeChat and other platforms implemented real-name authentication and phone number binding, a tricky move followed (this is the key point of why I’m sharing this case, and why I mentioned earlier that "Li Quan" might be a stolen identity).

"Piao" had become the top administrator and backup administrator of certain (unnamable) groups on social platforms for UK universities. Even if one account was reported and banned, a backup fake account would immediately take its place.

His daily tasks included acting online with multiple accounts—such as asking and answering his own questions, pretending to help new students, posting attractive content, or astroturfing comments. He also collaborated with "certain organizations" in Chinese universities (you know the type—those who will promote anything for money). These organizations are trusted by students, so many program participants would believe their recommendations. Some members of these organizations are even outstanding, including Chinese teachers from foreign universities who endorsed the scammers—who were also promoted on the official WeChat accounts of these foreign universities.

This approach of casting a wide net and having internal and external support ensured a steady stream of student tenants. Many paid a full year’s rent in advance while still in China, handing over personal information such as passports.

• "Pen (Basin)" was responsible for pre-sales and after-sales services—promoting properties, handling various complaints and disputes, and monitoring risks. He researched ways to navigate the legal gray areas (and even dance in the abyss of illegality) between China and the UK without being caught, and activated an emergency escape plan at the first sign of trouble. While his workload seemed small, many core risk-avoidance strategies came from him. He had to answer countless questions and stay vigilant at all times.
• "Guo (Pot)", the ringleader, was responsible for arranging on-site or video viewings, signing contracts, and collecting payments.

Step 3: From Sub-Landlord to Scammer

Initially, Guo, Wan, Piao, and Pen genuinely rented properties to students and earned a profit margin. This continued until Guo and Wan graduated and obtained their degrees. The four of them calculated that earning several hundred thousand RMB a year and splitting it among themselves was too little. So Guo proposed scaling up the operation. "Pen" immediately assessed the risks and found that Chinese and British laws couldn’t effectively stop them—it was feasible. Thus, the four launched their scam.

Thanks to their initial genuine rental business and status as current students, they had built a reputation over about two years—with numerous online recommendations (mostly from astroturfers) and even referrals from previous tenants.

The scammers’ first move was recruitment: they hired current students (both in Chinese university programs and international students abroad) for high-paying part-time jobs. Successful applicants were required to provide personal documents such as passports, open new bank accounts, and register new social media accounts—all under the guise of "job requirements." This allowed the scammers to fraudulently obtain the passports, ID cards, student IDs, new bank account details (including passwords), and social media accounts of many genuine international students and program participants.

This explains why I mentioned earlier that "Li Quan" might not be the actual scammer, but a victim whose identity was stolen—the one who unknowingly took the blame and even "cooked for the scammers."

With this stolen information, the scammers’ second step was to defraud both sides—primarily targeting students. They first gained landlords’ trust by agreeing to monthly or quarterly rent payments, then charged students a premium for a full year’s rent plus a security deposit. For example, if a landlord charged £1,000 per month for a property, the scammers would rent it out as a whole for £1,500-1,800 per month, or split it into rooms rented individually for £500-800 per month (some students negotiated lower prices). They would pay the landlord £1,000 monthly but collect 12 months’ rent plus a deposit from students upfront—then the four scammers would flee. When the landlord failed to receive rent on time, and students had already paid a full year’s fee, the students were left with no choice but to either pay the landlord again or move out. Seeking legal recourse was futile, and reporting to the police yielded no results.

Repeating this tactic, they expanded to multiple cities in the UK. Over 7-8 years, the four scammed millions of RMB annually—becoming millionaires in China who could boast to friends and family about their "self-made" success.

The most ridiculous part? After graduating, they couldn’t obtain work visas or green cards. So they only traveled to the UK on tourist visas for a few months each year during the peak rental season. As the saying goes: "Talking about the law with them is almost laughable."

I once watched a Hong Kong anti-fraud movie (I can’t remember the title or actor, but it was excellent). It tells the story of a Hong Kong police officer who was transferred to the "useless" Anti-Fraud Unit after offending his superior. He initially slacked off at work, but after witnessing how scams ruined families, he resolved to become a competent officer and fight fraud. However, the scammers were highly skilled—he couldn’t outsmart them and was even tricked repeatedly. He then sought a mentor to learn scamming techniques, including advanced psychological tactics. In the end, he set a trap: he pretended to be demoralized, then used his own real wedding as part of an elaborate scheme to deceive the city’s top scam leader. He successfully outwitted the scammer, arrested him, and seized all his assets.

In the movie, he said: "To defeat a scammer, you have to be better at scamming than them. If they’re cunning, you have to be more cunning. The highest level is to immerse yourself in the trap, creating a scheme within a scheme that doesn’t seem like a scheme at all."

This line shocked me deeply. It made me wonder: why do so many international students get scammed? Why can’t we outsmart scammers? How do scammers maintain strong psychological resilience and break down victims’ defenses—even fooling highly intelligent, educated individuals or successful business leaders?

As Stephen Chow said in the movie "Hail the Judge": "Corrupt officials must be cunning, but honest officials must be even more cunning." Oops—sorry, I rewatch Stephen Chow’s movies dozens of times a year; I’ve seen my favorites at least a few hundred times each, so some scenes and lines are etched in my memory. I only watched that Hong Kong anti-fraud movie once, many years ago, so I truly can’t remember the title or actor—only the general plot. If the lead actor of that movie reminds me, I promise to treat you to a meal and rewatch it annually. Again, my apologies [hug].

Inspired by that movie, I transformed into "N versions of Zhang San"—a name everyone is probably familiar with (yes, the famous "outlaw Zhang San"). As Zhang San, I infiltrated the scammers’ inner circle. I won’t disclose the exact method—I might need to use it again, so I can’t reveal it in advance. After infiltrating, I found myself like a pure stream that couldn’t fit in. Even though I tried to suppress my conscience, it would haunt me in dreams and even create real-life reminders to "be a good person," urging me not to forget my original mission as an undercover. This made me extremely uneasy. I’m someone who’s bad at lying—my emotions are written all over my face, which is very unfavorable for such operations. So after learning some trivial information, I gave up.

Okay, I’ve typed so much—my hands need a break with a drink. If you enjoyed this, feel free to tip me for a beverage. Thank you for treating me—I’ll send you a big heart [heart]!