New Delhi | A 30-year friendship ended in a massive property fraud after a Chinese man was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for allegedly cheating a married couple out of more than 700,000 yuan (approximately ₹97 lakh) by selling them an apartment he did not own.
According to media reports, the accused, identified only by the surname Sun, deceived the couple by falsely claiming ownership of a vacant apartment in Shanghai. The fraud remained undetected for months before the actual owner discovered that the locks on the property had been changed without his knowledge.
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Sun, a resident of Shanghai, had previously operated two retail stores that eventually shut down. He also had an earlier conviction for fraud and had served a prison sentence. After his release in 2017, he reconnected with the married couple, who had known him for nearly three decades.
Despite their modest financial condition, the couple continued to support Sun over the years by providing him with financial assistance, food and emotional support. Gradually, Sun projected himself as a financially secure individual with property assets and influential contacts through relatives associated with a local village committee. The couple reportedly trusted his claims without suspicion.
The alleged fraud began in 2023 when the couple sought Sun’s help in finding an affordable home. He claimed he could arrange discounted housing through his connections and started collecting money in instalments, stating that the payments were required for booking amounts, processing charges and other expenses that would eventually be adjusted against the property’s final purchase price.
The scheme intensified in 2025 when Sun informed the couple that he had secured a relocation apartment for them and demanded an additional 400,000 yuan (approximately ₹55.5 lakh) to complete the transaction.
Investigators later found that the apartment never belonged to Sun. Reports stated that he had identified a vacant flat in a resettlement housing complex that had remained unoccupied for several months. He allegedly hired a locksmith, falsely claimed he had misplaced the keys and got the locks replaced without producing any ownership documents.
After changing the locks, Sun reportedly handed the new keys to the couple and executed a fake property sale agreement, making the transaction appear legitimate.
The fraud came to light in May 2025 when the apartment’s actual owner, identified by the surname Wang, visited the property with a prospective tenant. After discovering that his original key no longer worked, he reviewed CCTV footage, which showed the locks had been changed. He subsequently reported the matter to the police.
The investigation traced the fraudulent activity back to Sun, who was later arrested. During questioning, he admitted that the money received from the couple had already been spent on repaying debts and covering personal living expenses.
Although the couple had not yet made the final payment for the apartment, authorities estimated that their financial losses had already exceeded 700,000 yuan (around ₹97 lakh).
According to reports, a local court convicted Sun of fraud and sentenced him to 10 years and three months in prison. The court also imposed a fine of 100,000 yuan (approximately ₹13.8 lakh). It remains unclear whether the locksmith who changed the apartment’s locks has faced any legal consequences.
The case has drawn widespread attention as an example of how longstanding personal relationships can be exploited to carry out sophisticated property fraud, highlighting the importance of independently verifying ownership documents before completing any real estate transaction.
