THE Huangpu People's Prosecutors' Office yesterday ratified the arrest of Jiang Sheng, who allegedly defrauded more than 40,000 yuan (US$4,938) in cash and valuables after posing as a journalist.
Prosecutors said such cases are rare.
Jiang, 23, saw an ad in a newspaper. A man surnamed Liang, who owned a minibus, was seeking work as a driver. Jiang called Liang and claimed he was a journalist at the Shanghai office of a Hong Kong Satellite TV Station. Jiang said he needed to rent a car and driver for an interview.
He promised to pay Liang 300 yuan each time he used the minibus.
Liang trusted the man because Jiang wore a TV station employee card. Jiang had the minibus painted as an interview car and installed a siren. Jiang also told Liang his father was a director in a ministry.
Liang was only used to drive Jiang to and from work. Jiang allegedly borrowed 5,900 yuan from Liang, saying his US dollar credit card couldn't be used in Shanghai.
Jiang also allegedly used fake property certificates as collateral to borrow 15,000 yuan from Liang, claiming he was in urgent need of money to help his father, who he claimed had embezzled public funds.
Then he disappeared.
After a few months, the "journalist" turned up again. This time he went to a mobile phone store on Renmin Road on October 28. Jiang told the store owner surnamed Yu he was a journalist at a Shanghai TV station. He said the station needed some gifts for the audience and wanted to buy seven mobile phones valued at about 30,000 yuan (US$3,717).
The next day, Jiang allegedly placed a false TV station sign in a rented car. Seeing the sign, Yu received Jiang warmly and gave him the handsets. They dined at the Westin Hotel after, prosecutors said.
During the meal, Jiang told Yu the TV station's activity was upstairs. Jiang said he would show the mobile phones to his boss and then pay for the merchandise. Jiang allegedly ran out a side door with the handsets.
Jiang reportedly fled to Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, and sold two phones for 4,500 yuan. He was caught by police that night.
