A cautionary tale has emerged from Anhui, China, where a 29-year-old man surnamed He claims to have fallen victim to a “flash marriage” scam. He met a woman through a matchmaking platform and, after only two brief meetings, registered their marriage on April 24 at the Yunyan District Marriage Registration Office in Guiyang. Over the process, He paid nearly RM300,000 to matchmakers, the matchmaking platform, and as bride price. Less than a month later, the marriage collapsed, leaving He both financially and emotionally devastated. He subsequently filed a police report, and the woman, surnamed Lu, has been criminally detained by local authorities.
According to reports by Da Wan News, He was first contacted last year by a professional matchmaker surnamed Wang from his hometown in Taihu. In April, Wang invited He to Guiyang, where he was introduced to Lu, who is five years older than He and had a previous marriage. He stated he was not concerned about her past, and they completed their marriage registration on April 24.
Before registering, He had paid over RM270,000 to the matchmakers, platform, and Lu, and signed both a service contract and a prenuptial agreement. On April 26, the couple visited Lu’s alleged “only relative,” an aunt. Shortly afterward, Lu returned with He to Taihu but added last-minute demands for additional bride price and gifts, which he agreed to pay the following day to gain entry into her family home. Lu stayed in Taihu for just two days before returning to Guizhou, citing urgent family matters. Despite multiple attempts to reconcile, she briefly returned to Anqing on May 6, demanded an additional RM20,000 citing a relative’s wedding, and then left again. On May 30, she initiated divorce proceedings.
He later approached the matchmaking platform in Guiyang. Lu initially agreed to negotiate a refund of the bride price, but months passed without resolution. Visits to the “aunt’s” residence revealed the woman was merely an acquaintance and did not know Lu’s whereabouts. He then reported the matter to the Huaguoyuan Police Station, Nanming District.
The platform refunded the service fees and signed a settlement agreement with He, and several matchmakers returned their commission fees. On August 14, authorities determined the case met the criteria for criminal investigation. He also discovered that Lu had previously registered two other marriages and had a history of drug use. His current goal is to recover his financial losses. The matchmaker Wang stated she considered herself a victim as well and had returned the collected funds, assisting He throughout the process. The platform’s representative said their role is primarily as a shared service provider, relying on publicly available information, and they cannot fully verify clients’ personal histories.
This type of dispute is not unique. A separate case reported by Baixing Guanzhu involved a man from Jiangxi who, after two meetings with a woman matched by a Guizhou matchmaking service, registered their marriage in November 2024, paying over RM308,000. Their relationship quickly deteriorated, and the woman left citing a family funeral while still demanding money. The man eventually filed for divorce in May and recovered part of his payments, but RM120,000 in bride price and additional matchmaker fees remain unpaid.
