Recently, the People's Procuratorate of Fengxian District, Shanghai, filed a public prosecution against a man surnamed Qian for fraud. The court sentenced Qian to six months in prison, with a one-year suspended sentence, and imposed a fine of RMB 4,000.
According to the case, in June 2024, Qian boasted at a dinner gathering, claiming that a relative of his had contracted third-party services on Shanghai Metro Line 5 and was recruiting staff. Qian said he could "arrange" Metro jobs for others. After hearing this, Yao and 13 others (14 people in total) approached Qian, asking him to help them secure positions.
Unable to follow through, Qian decided to go along with the lie and even "assigned" them work. He instructed the group to go each day to several Metro stations along the Fengxian section of Line 5, where they were told to check whether station staff were on duty; assist passengers, including the elderly, children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities; and help move luggage—promising a monthly salary of around RMB 6,800.
To make the fake jobs seem legitimate, Qian devised a "complete onboarding process." He required the 14 so-called recruits to salute and clock in under surveillance cameras at the station entrance at the start and end of each shift, creating the appearance of formal employment. He also staged an "entry exam," recording the entire test on video and claiming that anyone who failed would not be able to become a full employee.
During this period, Qian repeatedly implied that the opportunity was "difficult to come by." Interpreting his words as a hint, some victims gave him cigarettes, alcohol, gift vouchers, and cash—either to thank him for "pulling strings" or to help ensure they passed the "exam."
However, after "working" for several months, the group still received no wages—and, in some cases, had even paid out of pocket. When they confronted Qian, he finally admitted the truth. The victims then reported the matter to police, and the case was uncovered.
Investigators found that Qian had carried out the fraud under the pretense of arranging Metro jobs, obtaining 21 cartons of cigarettes, six bottles of baijiu, RMB 3,500 in cash, and a consumer card worth RMB 1,000.
After negotiations, Qian returned part of the gifts and money, paid some of the "wages" he had promised, and obtained forgiveness from the victims.
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