The Fate of Chinese Men Caught in the Trap of Fake Brides

In China, some single men seeking marriage are losing large sums of money through matchmaking agencies that promise to help them quickly and easily start a family. In particular, “quick marriage” services promise to find men a suitable partner within a short time.

Thirty-seven-year-old Wang Juan also contacted such an agency. He traveled to Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou Province, met several women, and chose the eighth woman he encountered. Her simple clothes and modest appearance inspired Wang’s trust.

They married after several brief meetings. Wang paid more than 300,000 yuan for the bride and spent approximately 400,000–500,000 yuan in total, including the wedding and other expenses.

However, several months after the marriage, debt collectors began calling him. When Wang investigated his wife’s past, he discovered that much of the information he had been given was false. The woman had previously been married three times, had three children, was in debt, and had also concealed her age.

When Wang went to the agency, the office had closed and its employees had disappeared.

Why are such scams becoming more common?

One of the main causes of the problem is China’s gender imbalance. The country has approximately 30 million more menthan women. Finding a suitable partner has become particularly difficult for men in small cities and rural areas.

Some matchmaking agencies are exploiting this situation by offering “quick marriages.” According to government data, between January 2024 and March 2025, cases involving crimes connected to the matchmaking industry were brought against 1,546 people .

There have also been reports that some agencies presented women working in karaoke clubs as “brides” and took more than 2.5 million yuan from 128 victims.

Victims Are Trying to Recover Their Money

Fifty-nine-year-old Xu Yulin also spent nearly 500,000 yuan to find a bride for his son. His son married seven days after meeting the bride for the first time, but the woman left the family less than two weeks later.

Experts emphasize that proving such cases is difficult because Chinese law has no separate criminal provision specifically addressing marriage fraud. Victims must prove that, before the marriage, the person’s primary intention was to obtain money.

Wang is now sharing videos about his experience on social media to warn other men. He has not been able to recover all the money he spent and is skeptical about marrying again in the future.

Carefully checking the promises made by “quick marriage” agencies and independently verifying information about a prospective partner may reduce the risk of falling victim to such scams.