91 arrested over online 'romances'

Police in south China’s Hainan Province have arrested 91 telecom and online fraud suspects, who swindled more than 3 million yuan (US$430,000) in hundreds of cases since June.

In early October, local police received a report from a male victim who said he had been cheated out of more than 7,000 yuan involving a girl he met online.

The scammers, claiming to be beautiful girls, used social media to establish romantic relationships online.

After winning the trust of victims, the swindlers asked them to play online games and deposit money.

Police said the gang set up a company in June in Haikou, the capital of Hainan, and cooperated with game companies, taking 80 percent of the amount paid by victims.

Police caught the 91 in five dens in Haikou on November 13, confiscating 124 computers and over 100 mobile phones.