Man detained over online donation fraud

Police in north China have arrested a man who pocketed funds intended for poverty-stricken rural students, local police said.

Zhang Shenling, an unemployed 31-year-old in Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, is accused of spending 32,000 yuan (4,100 U.S. dollars) of netizen donations, said Liu Menglong, a policeman with Shanhaiguan District, Qinhuangdao.

Zhang built a website last March and posted photos he had taken himself of 30 primary schoolchildren in poor mountainous areas near the city, together with a bank account number, claiming the website was devoted to collecting donations for them, according to Liu.

In less than two months, Zhang collected about 20,000 yuan (2,560 U.S. dollars), which went straight into his pocket.

Using the same approach, Zhang got another 10,000 yuan (1,280 U.S.dollars) from donators by posting pictures of poor elderly people.

But a donator discovered the fraud after paying a visit to one of the pupils who Zhang claimed had benefited from the donations.

In November, the donator, who declined to be identified, visited an 11-year-old pupil named Zhou Qingqing from an impoverished family in a remote village of Qinhuangdao. According to Zhang's website, the child had received donations totaling 1,400 yuan (180 U.S. dollars).

To the donator's surprise, Zhou said he had not received any money from Zhang but that it was true that a man had come to take photos of him.

Suspecting fraud, the donator reported the case to police.

Zhang admitted that he had spent all the funds, according to Liu.

According to Zhang, more than 400 netizens made donations through his website last year.

Zhang's website has been closed. He will face criminal charges.

Source: Xinhua