For many years, the number of Chinese people who have been deceived, trafficked, or kidnapped to Southeast Asia is uncountable. They not only lose their freedom but also endure torture and many of them remain unreleased or missing to this day. Some might have been victims of organ harvesting or even lost their lives. This article takes stock of several well-known mainland Chinese individuals who have fallen victim to this tragedy in recent years, and briefly introduces common methods of deception and prevention.
Internet celebrity Athena, whose real name is Kong Limei, was born in 1994 and is from Guangdong. In 2021, Kong Limei participated in the 70th “Miss World” pageant in Macau and won the third place. Afterwards, she became active on mainland China’s social platforms like Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Weibo under the name “Athena Liya.” Her short video account showed that she had 1.281 million fans. However, after March 20, 2023, her account was no longer updated.
A friend of Kong Limei, Mr. Wang, recently told Vanguard News that according to flight ticket information, Kong Limei went to Manila, the Philippines before June 16, 2023. After that, her family received a call from Kong Limei saying she was in financial trouble and asked for some money to be sent over. After transferring 800,000 RMB to Kong Limei’s account, the family lost contact with her.
According to Mr. Wang, Kong Limei was deceived to go abroad by a woman surnamed Li under the pretext of accompanying her for a change of scenery, who was a friend Kong Limei met online. It is said that this Li surnamed woman quickly deleted all her social media accounts after the incident, cut off contact with mutual friends, and fled abroad.
Recently, there have been reports that Kong Limei was “ticketed” in the Philippines long ago. However, Kong Limei’s mother, Mrs. Yuan, stated to the media on August 11 of this year that she has not received any news of her daughter being killed and her daughter is still missing. As of the time of writing this article, the Chinese authorities have not issued any notification confirming Kong Limei’s death.
Chinese actor Wang Xing, stage name “Xing Xing,” was born in 1993. Wang Xing graduated from the Shanghai University Film Academy and has appeared as a supporting actor in many film and television works, including “Ip Man 3”, “90 Teenagers”, “Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Episode Moon Red”, “The Hunted Detective II”, and “The Story of the Rose.”
In December 2024, through a friend’s introduction, Wang Xing joined an actors’ chat group. Some in the group posted casting information, and Wang Xing recorded an audition scene that was approved the next day. Although Wang Xing had doubts about the shooting information and location, he was eventually convinced by the recruiters.
Wang Xing flew to Thailand in January 2025 to prepare for filming, and after arriving in Bangkok, he maintained contact with his girlfriend, Kang Jia (online name @Insomnia Daddy). However, two hours later, Wang Xing lost contact, and his last location was shown on the Thai-Myanmar border. Later, it was reported that Wang Xing was abducted by armed personnel to a scam park in Myanmar’s Myawadi, and the so-called actor selection was a scam.
After Wang Xing lost contact, his girlfriend, Kang Jia, immediately reported to the Shanghai police, but was informed that Wang Xing had disappeared overseas and that the Chinese police had no authority to take action. Kang Jia contacted the Chinese embassy and consulate general in Chiang Mai in Thailand, and was told that she needed to confirm whether Wang Xing was still in Thailand and that the embassy could only act after a case was filed locally in Thailand. Kang Jia then called the Thai police, but the call could not be connected.
Unable to do anything, Kang Jia posted a plea for help on the social media platform Weibo, asking for help in finding her missing boyfriend. Because Wang Xing was an actor, news of his disappearance caught the attention of the entertainment industry, and many actors, celebrities, and online influencers posted in support. The topic of “Actor Xing Xing missing at the Thailand-Myanmar border” quickly became a hot search on Weibo.
On January 6, 2025, Kang Jia flew to Bangkok, Thailand, and reported the case to the local police. This case caught the attention of the Thai authorities and even alarmed Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Following negotiations between Thai-Myanmar authorities and the Karen Border Guard Force controlling the area of Myawadi, Wang Xing was handed over to the Thai side at the Friendship Bridge No. 1 border crossing and returned to China on January 10.
Xu Bochun, born in Shanghai, China in 1986, is both an actor and a small internet celebrity, and has appeared on television variety shows multiple times.
The scam that Xu Bochun fell for is similar to that of Wang Xing. In July 2023, he saw a “monthly salary of tens of thousands” recruitment advertisement for actors in a part-time chat group, and without suspicion, he believed it. Arranged by an “agent,” Xu Bochun travelled alone to Xishuangbanna, Yunnan.
On the way from Xishuangbanna to the next destination, Xu Bochun and three other out-of-town individuals realized something was wrong because each person had a different reason for coming, but at that point, they had no way out, as armed personnel were guarding them all the way to Myanmar.
After arriving in northern Myanmar, Xu Bochun and his group reached a farmhouse where Xu witnessed violence and sudden deaths he had never imagined. This “farmhouse” was actually an intermediate link in human trafficking, where seventy to eighty people were kept inside and were beaten daily regardless of whether they did anything wrong.
Xu Bochun was also forced to watch others being abused through live streams. Some were scalded with boiling water and then had their toes cut off. Some young people tried to escape and were shot dead on the spot. Xu Bochun still feels fear when recalling these experiences long after the incident.
After spending half a month at the “farmhouse,” Xu Bochun was sold to a scam park in Laojie, northern Myanmar, and forced to undergo “pig-killing” training. However, after more than two months, he had not been successful in scamming anyone yet. Worried that he would be resold, Xu Bochun sent a distress message through a friend to China.
When Xu Bochun’s mother learned about his situation, she sold the only house they had and borrowed hundreds of thousands from relatives and friends, collecting over one million RMB in ransom. Through the initial scam intermediary, Xu Bochun was rescued from the scam park.
From July 6, 2023, when Xu Bochun left Shanghai and China, to October 6, 2023 when he returned from the China-Myanmar border, Xu Bochun had gone through a nightmare that will forever be unforgettable.
However, upon returning to China, Xu Bochun did not receive hugs from his fellow citizens. Instead, he was detained by the public security bureau for “illegal entry and exit” for ten days, and fined two thousand RMB.
Zhang Jixiao, from Linyi, Shandong, holds a Ph.D. from the Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He later worked in scientific research at the Lushan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, earning a monthly salary of about 5,000 RMB.
It is reported that Zhang Jixiao came from an average family background, and his mother was bedridden. In the years prior to being deceived, he had financial losses from cryptocurrency trading, accumulating tens of thousands of RMB in debt. In 2022, Zhang Jixiao turned his attention overseas and met a “intermediary company” online that introduced him to a job as a translator in Singapore.
Zhang Jixiao revealed that the company’s recruitment process seemed very legitimate, requiring him to provide his graduation certificate, English proficiency certificate, resume, health report from a Class 3A hospital, and even a clean criminal record. The opposite party also sent Zhang Jixiao a job invitation letter, which made him believe without any doubt.
However, during the visa application process, allegedly due to various complicated procedures and Zhang Jixiao’s failure to get vaccinated, the visa had not been approved. The other party suggested he start working at the company’s Thailand branch first, leading Zhang Jixiao to fall into the trap.
Zhang Jixiao arrived in Thailand on August 15, 2022, and was later taken to a scam park in Myawadi, Myanmar. He endured beatings and imprisonment, forced to work at the “pig-killing” task for at least 15 hours a day.
Later, Zhang Jixiao discovered that the computers in the scam park could install phone simulators (an application that runs on a computer), so he secretly sent emails to his family for help. The news of “Chinese Academy of Sciences Ph.D. deceived to Southeast Asia” quickly became a hot topic in the media.
With attention from the domestic public opinion, the scam park where Zhang Jixiao was located also felt the pressure, considering Zhang Jixiao as a “hot potato.” Eventually, after Zhang Jixiao’s family paid tens of thousands of RMB as ransom, the park released Zhang Jixiao.
On August 24, 2023, Zhang Jixiao was sent to the Thailand-Myanmar border by the scam park, and returned to China just over ten days later. His total time spent trapped in the scam park in Myanmar exceeded a year.
Born in 1978, Xing Weilin, founder of Guizhou Vision International Travel Agency, which has 142 branches in China. He also serves as the legal representative of Guizhou Guishili Liquor Group, with assets of at least tens of millions RMB.
Xing Weilin was deceived by a “travel companion” he met on a high-speed train, and on September 21, 2022, he flew to Bangkok, Thailand to inspect the local tourism environment. Upon landing, Xing Weilin could not resist the enthusiasm of his “partner,” and canceled his previously arranged activities and accommodation, embarking on the vehicle provided by the “partner.” He was made unconscious by smoke in the car, and upon waking found himself kidnapped to the scam park in Myawadi, Myanmar.
Inside the scam park, Xing Weilin faced walls, razor wire, armed guards, and various inhumane treatments. As a wealthy businessman, he was denied ransom to release himself. Xing Weilin had to feign cooperation in the scam, while waiting for an opportunity to escape.
At 5 a.m. on November 13, 2022, Xing Weilin jumped from a wall about five meters high in the park, causing multiple fractures. After leaving the park, he was also controlled by multiple factions. However, due to his serious injuries, he could not be sold for a good price. Xing Weilin used this opportunity to negotiate with local forces, make contact with his family and eventually his family paid 80,000 RMB for his release.
On November 27, 2022, Xing Weilin illegally crossed the river into Thailand and returned to his home in Guizhou, China in January 2023.
After returning to China, Xing Weilin created a short video account as a “former scam victim,” recounting his personal experience. His fan base reached 400,000. However, less than a year later, Xing Weilin was arrested by the Yunyan Sub-bureau of the Public Security Bureau of Guiyang City for allegedly participating in fundraising fraud. His account was no longer updated, and this “anti-scam internet celebrity” disappeared from the public eye.
The above five cases are just the tip of the iceberg. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and other institutions, in telecom fraud parks in Cambodia and Myanmar, over 200,000 people have been forced into labor, with a significant proportion being Chinese nationals.
Currently, the deception methods have become highly professionalized, mainly classified into several categories:
False High Salary Job Advertisements (Actor Xu Bochun’s Deception Case): Postings for “overseas customer service,” “IT skills,” “actors/models,” and “business assistants” on platforms like WeChat, Kwai, Douyin, LinkedIn, promising monthly salaries of tens of thousands of RMB, free airfare, accommodation, and easy work. Many ads emphasize “confidentiality” and “immediate employment” without formal interviews or company background checks.
Acquaintance Referral or Agent Introduction (Million-Follower Internet Celebrity Athena’s Deception Case): Through friends, relatives, or “reliable intermediaries,” using trust to lower guards. Some intermediaries themselves may be previous victims, forced to recruit further to redeem themselves.
Transit Traps (Millionaire Entrepreneur Xing Weilin’s Deception Case): Victims are typically arranged to fly to transit locations like Thailand, Vietnam, or Laos, upon arrival, their passport and phone are taken by the “pick-up person” to send them to the border under the pretext of “company arrangements,” ultimately leading to illegal entry.
Entertainment or Special Skill Lure (Actor Wang Xing’s Deception Case): Targeted at actors, models, technical personnel, packaged as “big productions” and “confidential projects,” requiring secrecy and swift departure.
The five cases mentioned above illustrate that Chinese nationals deceived to Southeast Asia have hardly received official assistance from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities. Kong Limei has not returned, Xu Bochun was redeemed by family payment, Zhang Jixiao was released by the scam park under public pressure, Xing Weilin escaped back, and only Wang Xing was rescued by the Thai government.
For the common Chinese people, maintaining a rational skepticism and rejecting the temptation of a “free lunch” is the most effective self-protection method. The core of prevention lies in “high vigilance against high returns” and “information transparency”:
Job and Ad Screening: Verify any high-paying overseas job through official channels or credible platforms, checking the company’s registration information, physical address, and employee reviews. Reject invitations that offer “no interview, visa-free procedures, immediate departure.” Casting calls in entertainment should be through legitimate talent agencies, not last-minute group contacts.
Itinerary Sharing and Emergency Preparedness: Before departing, inform detailed itineraries, contacts, and flight information to family or friends, agreeing on regular check-ins. Carry backup communication tools and turn on location sharing.
Awareness around Borders and Special Areas: Avoid traveling alone to high-risk areas such as the Thailand-Myanmar or China-Myanmar borders or Sihanoukville in Cambodia under the guise of “high-paying jobs.”
Psychological and Economic Protection: Financial stress makes one more susceptible to deception, seek legitimate employment or entrepreneurship support in China rather than placing all hope on overseas chances.
Telecom fraud parks in Southeast Asia are mainly concentrated in Myawadi on the Thailand-Myanmar border in eastern Myanmar (infamous parks like KK Park, Apollo Park, etc.), Sihanoukville in Cambodia and its surroundings, and the Golden Triangle Economic Zone in Laos and regions like it, forming a large-scale industry from 2015 to 2016. Starting in 2019-2020, due to Cambodia’s gambling ban and the COVID-19 pandemic, telecom fraud in Southeast Asia expanded explosively.
Public reports reveal that a large number of people deceived to telecom fraud parks in Southeast Asia, upon being repatriated, are not treated as victims but rather classified as “suspects” or “persons involved in the crime,” entering the criminal justice system and ultimately being convicted.
On December 8, 2025, Xinhua reported that 1,178 “Chinese nationals suspected of telecom fraud crimes” from the Myawadi area of Myanmar were repatriated. The People’s Daily reported on July 7, 2025 that this year, relevant departments in China, Myanmar, and Thailand cooperated, capturing and repatriating over 5,400 “Chinese fraud suspects.”
On February 26, 2026, the Supreme People’s Court announced that by the end of 2025, Chinese courts had concluded over 27,000 cases of telecom fraud in northern Myanmar, with more than 41,000 returnees convicted.
Public reports indicate that telecom fraud crime groups in Southeast Asia are mostly crime groups associated with the Chinese Communist Party.
On November 12, 2025, Myanmar Myawadi gambling group founder She Zhijiang was extradited back to China from Thailand. In 2024, while incarcerated in a Thai prison, She Zhijiang confessed in an interview with Peninsula TV’s “Eastern 101” program that he was a spy for the CCP’s State Security Department, and the Asia-Pacific group was established under the directives of the CCP’s State Security.
In January 2026, Taiji Group founder Chen Zhi was arrested in Cambodia and deported back to mainland China. On October 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice formally indicted Chen Zhi in a New York federal court, with charges including telecommunications fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Eric, a former special agent from the CCP who worked at Taiji Group, stated in an interview with The Epoch Times that Taiji Group is one of the most important agents for the CCP to carry out clandestine activities in Cambodia and across Southeast Asia, its role far surpassing regular business enterprises.