China couples’ new way to test fidelity

BEIJING: Thousands of Chinese couples are paying to recruit fake online rivals to test their partner’s fidelity, a trend that reflects growing anxiety about love and cheating among those in a relationship.

Dozens of online companies are providing the service where a woman, or a man, can hire a “love tester” who would then test the partner’s loyalty by attempting to snare the target on cyberspace, a state media report said.

Once the order is made, the hiring customer needs to furnish personal details about the partner like their name, job, mobile phone number, social media accounts, hobbies and interests.

“Next, the tester will design a series of tricks to start the trap,” the tabloid Global Times said in a report. Chen Mengyuan, a 21-year-old college student who works as a “tester”, explained how the test works.

Under an assumed name, and possibly using enticing photographs, she befriends the partner on social media platforms like WeChat, China’s most popular social media app.

“Using enticing words and attractive (and fake) selfies to seduce men, these testers aim to help customers find out whether their partners are honest.”

“Some results turn out to be good because the men never accept Chen’s friend request on social media,” the report said.

Not everybody, however, passes the test.