Kris Wu and sexual assault accuser allegedly conned by scammer posing as victim, lawyer
By Ryan General
A con artist reportedly found an opportunity to defraud Chinese Canadian singer Kris Wu while details of his sex scandal made the headlines in China, Beijing police revealed on Thursday.
Poser cashes in: The 23-year-old scammer, identified only by his surname, Liu, confessed to targeting Wu after he learned online that the artist was accused of having sex with an intoxicated teenager, reported the Associated Press.
- In an earlier NextShark report, the alleged victim was identified as 18-year-old Du Meizhu.
- The Beijing Public Security Bureau stated that the man conned both Wu and Du in the high-profile scandal.
- The man allegedly impersonated a separate assault survivor, messaging Du on WeChat to “gain her trust” and information about her experience with Kris, according to AsiaOne.
- He said he first sourced information from Du in June to pretend to be her and demand money from Wu’s lawyer.
- After Wu’s mother sent 500,000 yuan ($77,000) to the real Du, the scammer pretended to be Wu’s lawyer and tried to convince her to forward the amount to him.
- He also tried to get an additional 2.5 million yuan ($390,000) from Wu’s actual lawyer but failed to do so.
- Liu was arrested on Sunday after Wu’s mother reported the incident to the police.
About the scandal: Wu, a former member of K-pop group EXO, was embroiled in controversy after Du came forward earlier this month and alleged Wu invited her to his home last year.
- An associate purportedly working for Wu’s studio arranged the said meeting under the pretense of an opportunity to work in a film.
- Du, who was then aged 17, claimed she was pressured into drinking alcohol and, after losing consciousness, found herself in Wu’s bed.
- When she vented on social media, Du said another associate reached out to her and offered her money. She declined the offer but was reportedly threatened with a lawsuit.
- According to Du, she received the 500,000 yuan in her bank account, which she has been returning in batches.
- The controversy has resulted in public backlash and brands cutting ties with the singer. Louis Vuitton is the latest to end its partnership.
- Other women have since come forward with similar allegations against Wu.
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