The victim displayed the receipt of payment issued by Hu.
The Sports Bureau established a poverty alleviation office, and for a fee of 50,000 yuan, one could become a civil servant with a formal post? A unit of public housing owned by the Sports Bureau could be purchased for only 100,000 yuan? These claims sound far-fetched, but Hu, a driver at the Guangzhou Sports Bureau, claimed to be well-connected with leaders, having "heavenly" connections, and produced documents stamped with the bureau's "official seal",涉嫌 deceiving more than 20 people. According to the victims' statistics, Hu illegally obtained amounts exceeding one million yuan.
On the 17th of this month, realizing they could no longer contact Hu, the deceived individuals realized they had been swindled and reported the incident to the police that day. Yesterday, Cai, a responsible person from the Guangzhou Sports Bureau’s Organ Service Center, stated that Hu was indeed a driver for the bureau, recruited through the Southern Talent Market, not directly hired by the Sports Bureau. He started working in December 2009 and was dismissed in September 2010 for disciplinary violations. Cai added that all those so-called Sports Bureau documents were forged.
Article: By reporter Zheng Weiting of our newspaper
Photos: By reporter Yang Qin of our newspaper
Exposure of Deception Techniques
20,000 yuan can secure a position in the Sports Bureau's logistics department
"He ran away, swindling me out of 70,000 yuan!" Yesterday morning, eight victims gathered on the road opposite the Guangzhou Sports Bureau, recounting their stories of being deceived to reporters.
Afan met Hu through a friend, "At the time, he was driving for the leadership at the Sports Bureau. He is from Conghua, 26 years old. Last February, he told me that he was very close to the leader in charge of personnel at the bureau, and could introduce a few people to work in the bureau's logistics department." Afan said that at the time, he was somewhat skeptical. To gain his trust, Hu sometimes let Afan follow him when he drove leaders to events, proving that he was indeed the leader's driver.
In March of last year, Hu presented a contract stamped with the Sports Bureau's official seal, which Afan signed and paid 20,000 yuan. Two months later, Hu brought another document for studying at Hong Kong Baptist University's graduate school, saying that there were spots available for full sponsorship within the bureau, listing Afan's name, asking him to pay 50,000 yuan as a deposit, promising to return it once he officially started work.
Afterward, Hu kept making various excuses, "For several months, nothing happened. I kept urging him, and he said that things were tight, and we should not publicize going through back doors."
100,000 yuan can buy a set of public housing from the Sports Bureau
Along, who is from the same village as Hu, was also deceived. Most of the people Hu deceived were acquaintances, including many from the same village. "I've known him since childhood, never imagining he would deceive others!" Along said that Hu boasted about driving for the leadership at the Sports Bureau, with the leaders taking good care of him. There was a batch of public housing units from the Sports Bureau for sale, priced internally at 100,000 yuan per unit, a rare opportunity.
Hu even took Along to see the houses, and Along believed him. On April 5th of last year, he paid a 50,000 yuan deposit, and Hu issued him a "Receipt for the Purchase of Existing Shared Housing Units from the Guangzhou Sports Bureau," stamped with the "Guangzhou Sports Bureau Housing Reform Office Receipt Special Seal."
Along trusted Hu's capabilities without doubt. In November of last year, he was deceived again. Hu said he would introduce him to work at the Sports Bureau, and Along paid another 50,000 yuan. Later, Along learned that others like Ajia were also deceived into spending 100,000 yuan on housing. Ajia wanted two units, and Hu collected 88,000 yuan as a deposit from him. Additionally, to work at the Sports Bureau, Ajia also paid 50,000 yuan.
Establishment of a Poverty Alleviation Office recruiting 16 people to work in Panyu
According to Mr. Deng, the head of the Guangzhou Sports Bureau fleet, in September 2010, Hu lied about a leader needing a car, misusing a public vehicle, violating unit discipline, and was subsequently dismissed through the Southern Talent Market. However, Hu did not stop deceiving people. Victim Afan said that Hu rented four rooms in Xiaoluo Village, Shiqiao, Panyu, using one as an office and the other three as dormitories. Hu transformed himself into the director of the Sports Bureau's poverty alleviation office, presenting documents stamped with official seals, claiming that the Sports Bureau had newly established a poverty alleviation office, recruiting large numbers of young and capable youths. Afan said that 16 people signed up, each paying around 60,000 yuan on average.
Hu also paid these people salaries, 2400 yuan per month, promising to regularize them after three months, raising their wages at that time. "We collected old books and computers, delivering them to a village in Xingning, Guangdong, which was the Sports Bureau's designated poverty alleviation point. We visited a few times, each time being received by village cadres."
Two Sides of the Story
Victims:
His acting was too convincing
It was the Lunar New Year, and Hu's established poverty alleviation office was on holiday. On February 17th this year, Hu's mobile phone was turned off, and he could not be contacted. Everyone finally realized they had been swindled!
Along and others went to Hu's home in Conghua to find him, but Hu was not there. Later, everyone went to the house Hu rented in Guangzhou, but still could not find him. Since Hu's "poverty alleviation office" was located in Panyu, everyone reported the incident to a nearby police station.
The victims reflected, saying, "We were careless and got scammed, it was our fault, but his acting was really too convincing."
Sports Bureau:
Expressing sympathy for the victims
Yesterday, reporters followed Afan and others to the Sports Bureau. Deputy Director Cai of the Sports Bureau’s Organ Service Center looked at Hu's documents and said that all these documents were fake. For example, the Sports Bureau does not have a housing reform office or send people to study at Hong Kong Baptist University. The Sports Bureau was unaware of Hu's actions. Fleet manager Mr. Deng said that Hu used to be a driver for the Sports Bureau, recruited through the Southern Talent Market. Hu's relationship was with the talent market, and due to disciplinary violations, he was dismissed in September last year.
Mr. Cai expressed sympathy and regret for Afan and others' situations. He also mentioned that currently, no public security departments have come to investigate at the Sports Bureau. The Sports Bureau will actively cooperate with investigations and notify Afan and others if any information arises.