CHINA

In Depth: Dating Apps Build a Business Around Catfishing Older Men

Published: Aug. 7, 2026 7:09 p.m. GMT+8

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A dating app that marketed itself as a way to meet people nearby used a “chat-to-earn” business model to weave female chat operators across China into an organized scam targeting middle-aged and older men.

In the second half of 2023, a dating app called Zhilian began operating. Women were recruited and trained as chat operators.

More than two years later, courts found that they had committed fraud by using manipulated profile photos, fabricated personas of single young women, and false claims of living nearby.

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Explore the story in 30 seconds

Zhilian app used a “chat-to-earn” model with female operators to defraud men via fabricated personas and false promises.
The scam involved 34 million yuan and 7,000 victims, mostly middle-aged men induced to buy virtual gifts.
Over 100 defendants sentenced; core operators received 7-12 years, with 18 million yuan recovered.

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Explore the story in 3 minutes

1. [para. 1][para. 2][para. 3][para. 4][para. 5] Zhilian, a dating app launched in late 2023, was exposed as an organized scam using a "chat-to-earn" model. Female operators, recruited and trained with fake profiles and stories, built fictitious emotional ties with male users to induce them into buying virtual gifts. Court rulings in April 2026 confirmed the fraud, revealing it involved over 34 million yuan and more than 7,000 victims, with over 100 defendants sentenced. [para. 6][para. 7] Authorities noted that such fabricated pretexts constitute fraud, and the app's business model was specifically designed to exploit emotional needs for profit.

2. [para. 9][para. 10][para. 11][para. 12] Despite marketing itself as a platform for meeting local people, prosecutors called the "local dating" pitch a facade to attract men seeking offline relationships. The app's design hid women's locations, allowing operators to pose as locals. The app was filled with operators whose only real motive was earning money.

3. [para. 13][para. 14][para. 15][para. 16] Female operators, mostly in their 30s and 40s, tailored their stories to match the predominantly older male users. Chatting required payment, but the goal was virtual gifts. Operators claimed raising an "intimacy score" via gifts was needed to unlock contact details, using fake screenshots to add legitimacy.

4. [para. 18][para. 19][para. 20][para. 23][para. 24] The scam operated through a structured hierarchy. The principal offender, Li, acquired the app code. Intermediaries called "guilds" recruited and trained operators, providing scripts and successful conversation recordings. Operators received 40% of the revenue from user top-ups.

5. [para. 26][para. 27][para. 28][para. 29][para. 30] Although it operated behind a registered company, allowing it to appear in app marketplaces, the scheme unraveled in late 2023 when a risk monitor flagged Zhilian, leading to its removal. Developers submitted false reports to restore the app, but in April 2024, Li tried to destroy evidence, and police intervened before the data could be erased.

6. [para. 31][para. 32][para. 33] Between 2025 and 2026, four core defendants, including Li, received prison sentences of 7 to 12 years. Over 100 others received shorter terms. The verdicts were upheld on appeal, and authorities have recovered over 18 million yuan.

7. [para. 35][para. 36][para. 38][para. 39][para. 40] The Zhilian case is part of a wider trend. A similar 2024 case in Jixi involved 220 million yuan and 70 apps. One victim, a divorced businessman surnamed Zhang who lost 200,000 yuan, described how operators demanded gifts and then vanished, with the promised in-person meetings never happening.

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Who’s Who

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What Happened When

August 2025 through May 2026：: The Keqiao District People’s Court handed down verdicts. Four core defendants, including Li, received prison sentences ranging from seven to 12 years and fines. Over 100 other defendants were sentenced to terms from one year to three years and six months, with fines.

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