Chinese man arrested for posing as delivery rider with baby to win online sympathy

Chinese influencer, posing as a delivery rider and single father on social media, was arrested for fabricating stories to gain sympathy and profit

A Chinese influencer has been arrested after fabricating a heart-wrenching story of being a single father struggling to support his baby daughter through food delivery work. The man, who operated under the handle @qianyibaobei on the popular social media platform Douyin, had amassed over 400,000 followers with his deceptive content, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

In China, an influencer was arrested for faking a single father story to gain followers and profit. (Pixabay)

Fabricated story gains sympathy and profit

The influencer posted over 100 videos portraying himself as a devoted father working tirelessly to care for his toddler after allegedly being abandoned by the child’s mother. In one video, he claimed to have delivered 43 orders in a single day, earning 300 yuan (£34) to provide better food for his daughter.

The man also described a moment when he accidentally injured his daughter’s face while on the job, urging followers to like his videos as a show of support. His emotional tales garnered sympathy and financial benefits through live-streaming sales, according to SCMP.

Police expose the lies

Authorities recently revealed that the influencer’s claims were entirely false. He is neither a single father nor a delivery worker. Instead, the child’s mother resides with him and their daughter, leading a stable life.

For disturbing public order, the man has been penalised with up to 10 days of detention and a 500-yuan (£57) fine, according to police reports.

A growing trend of deception

This case is not an isolated incident. Earlier this year, another influencer, @Liangshanmengyang, faced legal action in China for fabricating her life story. She falsely claimed to care for her siblings while living in poverty after her parents’ death. Investigations revealed her parents were alive, and the house shown in her videos was a shelter for livestock. She was sentenced to 11 months in jail and fined 8,000 yuan (£920).

Networks exploiting deceptive stories

Further investigations have uncovered a multichannel network company behind such fraudulent accounts. The company owner manipulated content to sell fake agricultural products, leading to a 14-month prison sentence and a fine of 100,000 yuan (£11,500).