The woman, surnamed Vuong, was arrested on charges of disturbing public order, an offense punishable by up to 7 years in prison.

According to the accusations, Vuong arrived in Shanghai on 18/2 and used complaints to cover her living expenses, including food, clothing, accommodation, and transportation. She exploited clothing stores' no-questions-asked return policies, cycling through over a dozen outfits during her two-month stay without spending a penny.

Vuong planted dead cockroaches and crickets to falsely accuse hotels of unsanitary conditions. Photo: Sohu

Vuong planted dead cockroaches and crickets to falsely accuse hotels of unsanitary conditions. Photo: Sohu

On days she wasn't treated to meals by male admirers, Vuong ordered food online. Upon delivery, she would complain about issues like "burnt food," "foreign objects," or "unwashed chicken feathers." Fearing negative reviews, vendors often refunded her money.

For transportation, she routinely complained to taxi drivers after each ride, securing refunds through various fabricated reasons. In one instance, after getting eyelash extensions, Vuong claimed discomfort and demanded a waived bill.

Vuong's hotel and lodging stays followed a similar pattern. She would create issues, claiming the presence of bedbugs or unsanitary conditions causing allergic reactions, to avoid paying. If hotel owners resisted, she threatened to call the police. When she realized the police wouldn't support her baseless claims, she threatened to file complaints against the police station itself.

During her final scam, a manager checked the hotel chain's system and discovered Vuong's history of similar disputes, raising suspicions.

Police investigated and found Vuong had stayed at over 10 hotels in Shanghai, always checking out hastily after less than two days. Staff at all 10 hotels reported that Vuong had demanded refunds upon checkout, citing allergic skin reactions due to hygiene issues.

Upon her arrest, police discovered a box of dead cockroaches and crickets in Vuong's bag. She confessed to purchasing them from an insect market as props for her schemes.

A doctor examined Vuong's alleged allergic rashes and concluded they were self-inflicted. She was arrested on 24/4 for the hotel scams. Subsequent investigations revealed her other fraudulent activities related to dining, beauty services, and shopping, which were publicized last week.

In her initial statement, Vuong admitted that a genuine incident occurred during her first hotel stay. The hotel comped her room and provided a gift voucher. Finding this lucrative, she replicated the scheme to secure free accommodation and services for months in Shanghai.

Hai Thu (HK01)