A 21-year-old man from Hangzhou, Zhejiang, was stopped by border police after attempting to travel alone to Thailand to meet a woman he had met online, reportedly without telling his parents the truth.
The incident happened on August 12 at the Hangzhou border inspection departure hall, where border police officer Ge Yangming noticed the young traveller heading towards the fast-track channel.
Born in 2005, the man, identified by the surname Zhang, was travelling alone with only a small amount of luggage. When questioned about his trip, he initially said he was going to Thailand to meet his girlfriend.
Further checks found that Zhang had met the woman on a short-video platform less than six months earlier. She claimed to be studying in Thailand and had repeatedly invited him to visit.
Police became suspicious after discovering that the woman’s phone number could not be reached. When Zhang was asked to contact his parents to confirm the trip, he eventually admitted that they did not know he was travelling.
He told officers that he had lied to his parents by saying he had cancelled his ticket, even though he had actually kept his travel plans.
Police stayed with Zhang and carefully went through his plans, pointing out several warning signs, including the short period they had known each other and the fact that the woman’s contact details could not be verified.
Several hours later, Zhang’s parents arrived at the border inspection hall. His mother said the family had been searching for him throughout the night and had nearly reported him missing, while his father thanked officers for stopping him before he left the country.
With guidance from the officers, Zhang completed the necessary procedures and voluntarily abandoned his trip before being taken home safely by his parents.
The case comes amid growing warnings about online scams involving strangers who lure young people overseas with promises of relationships or lucrative opportunities.
In another recent case at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, police stopped two young men who were allegedly preparing to travel overseas after being offered a highly paid job in Southeast Asia.
One of the men had reportedly met an online contact who promised to cover all travel expenses and offered a monthly salary of 30,000 yuan for a job described as game maintenance. The man then invited his friend to travel with him.
Although both initially had doubts, they were reportedly persuaded by the attractive salary and repeated assurances from the online contact. They were even allegedly given instructions on what to tell police if questioned and told to claim they were travelling for tourism, while deleting their chat records.
Fortunately, one of the men’s fathers became suspicious and alerted police. Officers eventually located the pair in the airport’s check-in area and prevented them from leaving.
The incidents serve as a reminder to remain cautious when meeting people online. Young travellers should never blindly trust strangers, online partners or supposed employers they have never met, particularly when being encouraged to travel overseas.
