Group of men jailed for ripping off foreign tourists

A group of 13 men who ripped off foreign tourists have been thrown in prison for extortion, according to Minhang District People’s Court.

They opened a bar and a massage parlor in April 2017, especially targeting foreign tourists in Shanghai, luring them to their venues with the promise of low prices. After enjoying their services, however, they were made to pay unreasonably high bills in the tens of thousands of yuan.

If they refused to pay, they would be threatened and surrounded by a group of men. Afraid to be beaten, many had no choice but to pay the requested amount. Then, the group had drivers take the victims back to their hotels, preventing them from calling police.

The court said that on June 7 last year, the group extorted five foreigners out of more than 70,000 yuan (US$11,088). They were caught the next day and have been sentenced from one to six years behind bars.