Quirky China: woman falls for ‘amnesia water’ scam, actor Xiao Zhan mobbed at hotpot restaurant, and man carrying bags of rice finds fame
- A woman was told that amnesia water was so magical she would forget her troubles after drinking it
- Crazed fans of Xiao Zhan, a famous actor on the mainland, mobbed a hotpot restaurant after his location was revealed online by the venue
A woman in southeastern China has reportedly been swindled out of 6,500 yuan (US$1,000) buying “amnesia water” from an online shop.
Surnamed Qian, the woman who lives in Suzhou in Jiangsu province, said she was interested in the product after she had a fight with her boyfriend and wanted to forget.
After getting in touch with the seller through a texting app, Qian was told that the amnesia water was so magical that people would forget their troubles after drinking it, with part of their memories eliminated, she told police.
The seller shared screenshots of supposed success stories and previous sales records to convince her he was legitimate. Qian sent the money in several remittances.
She only realised she was tricked after the seller didn’t show up at the agreed time and in the agreed place. He also blocked her on the app.
The case is under investigation. But police face some difficulty since their chat histories have been deleted as the seller instructed Qian to do so, telling her the trade of magic water was illegal.
