Till Cash Do Us Part: Woman in China Earns ₹35 Lakh in 3 Months Through ‘Flash’ Marriages

The rise of online matchmaking has not only increased opportunities to find love but also fueled fraudulent activities within the industry. China has recently witnessed a surge in scams targeting desperate single men seeking partners through matchmaking services.

According to reports, a group involved in matchmaking scams has come under police scrutiny for defrauding men and extorting significant sums of money. Some women participating in these schemes have earned as much as 300,000 yuan (₹35 lakh) within a few months.

A statement released in September by a court in Guiyang, Guizhou province, revealed that a police station in the Huaguoyuan area had received 180 reports of matchmaking fraud since March last year.

What Are Flash Marriages?

The scam typically involves matchmaking agencies arranging meetings between male clients and prospective brides. Once the couple agrees to marry, the men are required to sign contracts with the agency and pay hundreds of thousands of yuan as a bride price. These marriages are termed “flash marriages” because the brides often flee, vanish, or pressure the men into divorces through various means, including frequent conflicts shortly after the wedding.

Following the divorce, the women continue attending blind dates while the agencies conceal their divorce status.

A former employee of a matchmaking agency disclosed that there is never a shortage of male clients. “We do not worry about the source of male customers at all. There are many across the country,” the employee said. “We can select a male customer for blind dates from 40 to 50 candidates every day.”

In response to the fraudulent activities, authorities in Guiyang have cracked down on these operations. However, some agencies have reportedly relocated their activities to the neighboring Yunnan province.