The incident occurred on the evening of 28/8 at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, one of the city's most prestigious hotels.
Chen met the man, who called himself Huang, on Telegram. He claimed to be a 27-year-old lawyer. During their date, Huang said he had prepared a special bottle of wine to celebrate their first meeting.
They ordered the "Wenhua Ting Jipin Yuyan" set menu, priced at 2,400 HKD per person. The 9-course meal, from appetizers to dessert, featured premium ingredients like bird's nest and whole South African abalone. In addition, each person paid 200 HKD for Pu'er tea. The bill skyrocketed to over 84,000 HKD (including service charges), primarily due to a bottle of Krug Clos, a French champagne, costing nearly 72,000 HKD.
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Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. Photo: Wenweipo |
Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. Photo: Wenweipo
At the end of the meal, Huang excused himself to go to the restroom and never returned. After waiting and failing to contact him, Chen realized she had been scammed. She was forced to call a friend to bring money to cover the expensive bill.
Chen reported the incident to the police that evening. The suspect was apprehended the next day.
The arrested man, Huang, was 23 years old, not 27 as he had claimed. Huang had a prior criminal record. At 19, he used a false identity to lure a woman he met online to a hotel and forced her into sexual relations. A few years ago, Huang was convicted of three charges and sentenced to two years and 9 months in prison. Recently released, he repeated his scheme with Chen.
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The bill and menu from Huang and Chen's date. Photo: Worldjournal |
The bill and menu from Huang and Chen's date. Photo: Worldjournal
Lawyer Lu Weixiong said police are holding Huang on charges of "obtaining property by deception" rather than "dining and dashing." This is because the hotel didn't suffer a direct loss, as Chen paid the bill.
However, the lawyer stated that Huang's actions could constitute fraud if he actively encouraged Chen to order expensive items. Conversely, if there were no promises, just a one-sided expectation that the man should pay, it would be difficult to secure a conviction.
The incident has sparked widespread discussion on social media regarding dating expenses and luxury dining.
Bao Nhien (Theo Worldjournal/ Wen wei po)
