Wife chained up, forced into online scam slavery

A Chongqing man is in police custody for keeping his wife shackled in front of a computer to conduct online dating scams so he could afford luxury cars and date other women.

Chen Qiang was arrested at their apartment on March 16 after his wife, Ren Xin, managed to sneak a text message to police, Chongqing Evening News reported Monday.

There officers found Ren seated at a computer with her ankles cuffed to the desk.

Ren told police she and Chen first began conducting the scams soon after they married in 2011. She was able to rake in thousands a day from unsuspecting men online, Ren told police.

However, when Ren decided she wanted out, Chen began holding her hostage.

“Ever since then he had been forcing me to swindle money from men online,” Ren told the paper.

Ren told officers she attempted escape several times before Chen regularly locked her in the house.

Police so far uncovered more than 600,000 yuan ($ 87,166) in money transfers from scam victims on Ren’s WeChat account.

However, Ren said that Chen had control of the cash, much of which he spent on himself.

“He would pay for daily necessities, but the rest went to luxury cars, online games and dating other women,” said Ren.

“He could have used that money to pay our mortgage, but he chose to squander it,” she added.

When first questioned by police about why Ren was restrained, Chen said “my wife cheated on me and I was teaching her a lesson.”

Chen is in police custody and faces charges of fraud and illegal detention.

Chongqing police said Ren will not be charged as she was held hostage and “did not profit from the scam,” thepaper. cn reported.