Netizens were shocked.
Recently, an influencer was arrested for making up a story about a single father struggling to support his young daughter as a food delivery driver.
Known online as @qianyibaobeithe Chinese influencer falsely claimed that his wife had abandoned him and his daughter to present himself as a devoted father who earns a living by taking care of his son, Qianyi.
In videos published on platforms included Douyin AND Kuaishouhe often pointed out that Qianyi “doesn’t have a mother” and wrote the phrase in large lyrics on his videos. In one post, he said he completed 43 delivery orders in one day, earning $40 to buy food for his daughter. He also shared that he accidentally hurt her while working to further gain sympathy from his followers.
However, police investigations revealed that the man was not a courier and Qianyi’s mother still lives with them. It turned out that the uniform he was wearing in his videos was purchased online.
Authorities fined him for disturbing public order but did not reveal the specific punishment. Under Chinese law, spreading false information to disrupt public order can result in up to 10 days in prison and a fine of around $70.
This case highlights a growing problem of “sadfishing,” where influencers invent difficulties to gain sympathy and financial gain. Earlier this year, another influencer nominated @Liangshanmengyang she was jailed for falsely claiming to live in poverty and showing poor living conditions which turned out to be completely fabricated as she earned over $1.4 million from the deception.
Critics argue that such deceptive practices exploit public good will and undermine cases of real need. One commenter said, “Liars like these take advantage of people’s kindness and prevent those who are truly in need from getting help.”
