Suspect Identifies Crime Scene - Correspondent Feng Yong, Reporter Zou Fei (Photo) Captured Bartender Scammer - Shangbao Graphics Xu Qiaowei (Designed)
Entertainment Club Boss Hires People to Lure Men Online → Liaison Induces by Phone → Bartender Invites Victims to Entertainment Venue for Consumption
When you meet a beautiful woman online and she soon starts sending affectionate messages and flirtatious calls... you must stay calm, as this might be the start of a scam. The Jiu Long Po District police have uncovered such a bartender scam gang. This gang lures men into traps through multiple layers, deceiving them when they're caught up in passion. In less than a year, the gang defrauded over a thousand people, with an involved amount exceeding 1.8 million yuan. Currently, ten members of the gang have been arrested, marking the first bartender scam case solved in our city.
Case:
Online Beauty Friend Invites for Drinks - One Night Costs 3900 Yuan
Last year in early February, after going through some emotional ups and downs, a 30-year-old man named Tian would often spend his free time chatting online to pass the time, hoping to start a new romance. He met a woman named Li Lu on a dating website, and they got along well. After less than five days of QQ chat, the fiery Li Lu couldn't wait to invite Tian to meet.
Living alone for so long, Tian was lonely and wanted someone to keep him company. Without hesitation, he agreed to meet Li Lu and said he was happy to sing with the person he liked.
On the 15th, Tian arrived at a large KTV club in Yangjiaping proposed by Li Lu. Seeing this young woman in front of him, Tian's heart raced. They went to a private room to sing, and the seemingly innocent and cute Li Lu acted a bit shy, saying, "We're here to have fun." Tian encouraged her not to be restrained.
At this point, Li Lu tore off her disguise, ordering a table full of snacks and a bottle of imported liquor, singing, dancing, and playing drinking games with Tian. Tian had a great time, but within half an hour, Li Lu playfully said the alcohol was gone and she wanted to leave. Tian immediately ordered another bottle of imported liquor. They were having a great time when suddenly, Li Lu claimed she wasn't feeling well and needed to use the restroom. However, once she left, she never returned.
When Tian realized what happened, he picked up the bottle of imported liquor and found it empty. When he checked out, he was shocked to find that he had spent 3900 yuan on drinks. Realizing he had been scammed, Tian immediately reported the incident to the Yangjiaping Police Station.
Method:
Fraud Organization Divided into Four Layers, Leading You into Traps
According to Deputy Chief Deng Dong of the Yangjiaping Police Station, after receiving Tian's report, the station received several similar reports. Last year in mid-year and at the end of the year, some areas in our city had captured bartenders. However, due to insufficient evidence as the scammers were always walking the fine line between commercial fraud and criminal fraud, the bartender gangs managed to escape punishment.
Therefore, after meticulous planning, the Jiu Long Po police conducted an investigation and discovered that the gang was divided into different roles including "keyboard operators," liaisons, and bartenders. Destroying the "keyboard operator" hideout was key to solving the case. Through preliminary surveillance and tracking, the police identified a rented apartment on Xi Jiao Zhi Road in Jiu Long Po District where the "keyboard operators" were based.
In the early morning of December 17 last year, a capable team from the Yangjiaping Police Station, the District Criminal Investigation Brigade, and the Internet Monitoring Brigade stormed into the rented apartment. Inside, QQ message prompts were ringing incessantly. Five "keyboard operators" were staring intently at their computer screens, typing furiously. Each computer displayed multiple chat windows. The officers quickly controlled the "keyboard operators" and seized 20 computers. In the 18 account books found, information about the victims' ages and amounts defrauded was recorded.
Simultaneously, the police dismantled the hideouts of other gang members, including liaisons and bartenders, seizing over 30 bottles of fake liquor from the entertainment venue.
It is understood that this fraud gang was extremely cunning, dividing its framework into four layers to lure male citizens into traps. First, the top layer of the gang was the entertainment venue boss. The boss rented a house near the business premises, hiring more than ten "keyboard operators" responsible for online chatting. These operators used QQ and various dating websites to find potential victims. Once someone fell for it, the "keyboard operators" contacted the second layer liaison, who further lured the victim via phone calls. After successfully deceiving the victim into agreeing to meet, the third layer bartender appeared. As the most crucial part, the bartender took the victim to the entertainment venue, persuading them to drink and overspend. The last layer consisted of entertainment venue servers who helped cover for the bartender by pouring drinks in the private rooms.
The "keyboard operators" and bartenders in the gang never met face-to-face; all communication was handled by the liaisons. Once someone fell for the scam, they were bombarded with QQ greetings, affectionate phone calls, and flirtatious text messages until the victim agreed to meet.
Revelation:
Bartender Spits Out Alcohol Quietly But Keeps Toasting You
Why doesn't the bartender get drunk? According to the investigating officers, bartenders undergo strict training before "going on duty." In the private room, the bartender frequently raises their glass to toast the victim, while they themselves usually watch the victim drink, then quietly turn around and spit out the alcohol. This way, the alcohol is consumed faster, the victim gets drunk easily, and the bartender remains sober, making it easier for them to slip away.
To Prevent Phone Mix-ups
Liaisons Carry More Than 20 Phones
On each of the four liaisons in the gang, the police found more than 20 phones. Behind each phone, there was a name the liaison pretended to be, along with the names and phone numbers of several victims they were handling, to prevent confusion.
Bartenders Aged 20-40
Some Act as Both Organizers and Bartenders
In this gang that was dismantled, the bartenders ranged in age from 20 to 40 years old. Some bartenders also served as organizers and trainers for newly recruited younger bartenders based on their years of experience.
Depth:
Why Are Bartender Gangs Hard to Catch?
Because It's Difficult to Gather Evidence
According to the police, due to the different layers of the bartender gang not meeting face-to-face but relying on fixed liaisons for coordination, catching only one layer of the gang in the past failed to form a complete chain of evidence, making it difficult to convict. It is understood that the key to solving this case lies in the police obtaining the crime evidence chain of the gang, marking the first successful resolution of a bartender scam case in our city.
Legal Principle:
Even If the Price of the Alcohol Matches Its Value
It Still Constitutes Fraud
Lawyer Duan Qin from Chongqing Lida Law Firm stated that commercial fraud refers to unfair competition behaviors in market transactions, investments, and services using deception as a means. According to the provisions of the Criminal Law, fraud refers to the act of illegally possessing property with the intent to deceive, using fabricated facts or concealing the truth, to obtain significant public or private property.
The entertainment venue boss organized "keyboard operators," liaisons, and bartenders to bring victims into the venue, intending to defraud them through high consumption. The gang members concealed their work and real names, enticing victims to consume through fraudulent methods, clearly using illegal means to possess property. It should be noted that even if the victim pays an amount equal to the value of the alcohol, the gang still constitutes fraud because the victim was induced and deceived into consuming unwillingly.
Reminder:
How to Prevent Bartender Scams?
Police remind the public to be cautious when making friends online and to be especially vigilant of netizens who request to meet and consume shortly after getting acquainted. When consuming at entertainment venues, make sure to check prices before paying and personally open any alcohol ordered. Alcohols already opened and served in glasses could have been swapped for counterfeit ones. If you realize you've been scammed, report it to the police immediately.
This article was written by reporter Rao Jinlan.