A relatively unknown Chinese actor has found himself in the media spotlight since early January—but not for the reasons he had hoped.
22-year old Wáng Xīng 王星 thought he was on his way to a casting call with film producers in Thailand.
Just days earlier, he received an audition notice for a role in a Chinese-Thai action movie from a casting director in a WeChat group. Wang passed the audition, landed the role, and was told to travel to Thailand immediately.
Without much hesitation, Wang boarded a flight from Shanghai Pudong Airport around 9pm on 2 January, arriving at Bangkok in the early hours of the next morning.
At the airport, a car—apparently sent by the film production company—picked him up and drove him hundreds of kilometers north. The journey took him through Tak, a Thai province bordering Myanmar. Then, Wang suddenly lost contact with his family and girlfriend. By the morning of 3 January, he’d been smuggled across the border into Myanmar and held captive by a group of fraudsters.
On losing contact with him, Wang’s girlfriend raised the alarm. By 6 January, Thai border guards had successfully rescued him.
He later recounted his ordeal: He was detained in a high-rise building in what locals call an “internet fraud zone” (电信诈骗园区), alongside 49 other Chinese nationals. He had his head shaved, and was forced to endure two days of intense "scam script training."
The so-called “casting director” who lured Wang to Thailand was Yán Shíliù 颜十六, a notorious scammer known for using multiple aliases. In this elaborate scheme, Yan had posed as an employee of Thailand's leading entertainment company, GMM Grammy, to trick Wang into traveling abroad.
The dark underworld of Myanmar’s scam zones
The term “internet fraud” (电信诈骗) in Chinese can also be translated into English as “cybercrime” or “telephone and internet scams.”
The “fraud zone” (电信诈骗园区) where Wang was held can also be referred to as a “fraud factory” or “scam compound” which serve as hubs for large-scale fraud operations run by Chinese criminal gangs.
These groups target individuals, often Chinese nationals, luring them to scam centres under false pretences. Once there, victims are kidnapped, subjected to forced training, and coerced into scamming internet users worldwide. Some are sold or trafficked to other fraud zones, or their families are extorted for ransom payments.
One of the most infamous schemes originating from these operations is the "pig butchering scam" (杀猪盘). First emerging in China around 2016, this type of scam involves fraudsters using social media and online dating apps to cultivate, and eventually manipulate victims into investing in cryptocurrencies, or transferring large sums of cash to them.
The fraud zone where Wang was held is in Myawaddy (妙瓦底), a town in eastern Myanmar near the Thai border. Myawaddy has become a hotspot for internet fraudsters, especially after most large-scale fraud camps near the Chinese border in northern Myanmar were dismantled during cross-border crackdowns over the last two years. That campaign led to the arrests of over 53,000 Chinese nationals, according to Chinese state media.
Myawaddy is about 1,000km from the Chinese border, so it remains a base for smaller fraud camps, out of reach of the Chinese and Thai authorities. Thousands of Chinese nationals are reportedly still trapped there.
Reactions in China to Wang Xing’s ordeal
The kidnapping and dramatic release of Wang Xing has sparked widespread discussion in China.
Some have drawn comparisons with the 2023 movie, All In (孤注一掷), a crime thriller directed by Zhāng Yìmóu 张艺谋 about internet fraud and human trafficking in Southeast Asia. The film tells the story of a young programmer, Pan Sheng 潘胜, and model Anna 安娜, who are drawn in by lucrative overseas job offers, but fall victim to a scam in northern Myanmar.
Reports of similar cases have also surfaced, with many people claiming that friends and relatives had disappeared near the Myanmar border after being tricked into traveling to Thailand. An online petition puts the number of people missing at over 1,500.
Among the missing was Yang Zeqi, a male model who disappeared in Thailand on 20 December. He was located on 13 January, reportedly in Myawaddy, having also been lured there by Yan Shiliu 颜十六 for a film casting.
Discussions have also turned to the reasons behind the surge in such scams.
As Wang and Yang’s experiences demonstrate, more young, educated, and relatively well-off individuals are falling victim, particularly in the entertainment sector.
China’s economic downturn, higher living costs, and high unemployment rates are factors cited as driving more young people to seek work abroad, and take more risks, making them increasingly vulnerable to scams.
Internet fraud and its ties to Myanmar have become well-known in China.
This notoriety has even seeped into modern business language, with China's poorly performing stock markets being nicknamed “Myanmar A-Shares” (缅A) or “scam stocks”, which we discussed last year.
The Wang Xing incident has also thrust Thailand into the spotlight.
Netizens have even coined a new phrase to reflect their perception of the country:
After the Wang Xing incident, people in China “turn pale at the mention of Thailand”, cancelling all plans related to the country.
王星事件之后，国内民众“闻泰色变”，纷纷取消了和泰国相关的一切活动。
The phrase “to turn pale at the mention of Thailand” (闻泰色变) is a variation of the idiom “to shudder at the thought” (闻风色变), conveying the fear and unease many Chinese now feel about traveling to Thailand.
Troubles ahead for Thailand
The kidnapping of Wang Xing has led some cautious Chinese travellers to cancel their Spring Festival travel plans to Thailand, which is visa-free for Chinese tourists.
Hong Kong singer, Eason Chan 陈奕迅, shares these concerns, announcing the cancellation of his February concert in Bangkok:
"[There are] concerns about the safety of Chinese citizens and fans traveling to Thailand in light of recent events."
考虑到近期中国公民以及来自各地歌迷朋友前往泰国的安全问题。
This is a big problem for Thailand.
Chinese tourists have long been the largest contributors to Thailand’s tourism industry. 6.7 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand in 2024, nearly 20% of all foreign visitors to the country that year.
But the Wang Xing incident is already having a noticeable impact, with many Chinese now saying they prefer to travel to Japan and Singapore instead.
So that's what we’re exploring this week!
🎧 Member Podcast Preview: This week, we dive into the language of scams and deception in Chinese, breaking down the different meanings and uses “to lure” (引诱), “to deceive” (诱骗), and “to defraud” (诈骗). We’ll also explore how “trap” (圈套) compares to “scam” (骗局), and help you understand the differences between “taking the bait” (上钩), “being duped” (受骗), and “being deceived” (上当). We also explain the background of how “pig butchering scam” (杀猪盘) came about. It’s amazing! Tune in at the 10-minute mark to master these nuanced expressions!
Favourite Five
1. 上钩 shàng gōu
take the bait, be tricked
受害者一旦上钩，就会被绑架到条件恶劣的场所 [2] - Once the victims take the bait, they will be kidnapped and taken to a place with harsh working conditions. [2]
Related:
上当 shàng dàng - be deceived
圈套 quān tào - trap
套路 tào lù - trick, strategy
2. 杀猪盘 shā zhū pán
pig butchering scam, fraudulent investment scam
缺钱的，鼓吹“快速致富”，缺爱的，定制杀猪盘 [1] - Those short on money are given "get-rich-quick" recipes, while those lacking love are targeted with custom pig butchering scams. [1]
Note: Fraudsters target vulnerable individuals, build a close relationship with them (often pretending to be romantic partners), and then deceive them into investing money in fraudulent schemes.
Related:
猪仔 zhū zǎi - "piglet", victim of a pig butchering scam
3. 闻泰色变 wén tài sè biàn
to turn pale at the mention of Thailand
“王星事件”之后，国内民众“闻泰色变”，纷纷取消了和泰国相关的一切活动 - After the "Wang Xing incident", people in China turn pale at the mention of Thailand, cancelling all plans in the country. [1]
Note: a pun based on the original idiom, "become alarmed at the mere sight of" (闻风色变 wén fēng sè biàn)
4. 防不胜防 fáng bú shèng fáng
impossible to guard against
在新兴技术的加持下，精心编制的骗局，更是防不胜防 - As technologies continue to evolve, carefully crafted scams are even more impossible to guard against. [1]
5. 魔高一尺 mó gāo yì chǐ
evil prevails
这是魔高一尺，还是人性的弱点 - Does that mean that evil prevails or does it reveal the weakness of human nature? [2]
More: There was much discussion within the RTM team about the use of this idiom, and if it is “correct”. Learn more in the Sinica Phrase of the Week!
Consuming the Conversations
Useful words
6. 蛇头 shé tóu
snakehead, people smuggler
他在直播间内联系上了疑似带人出境的“蛇头” - He managed to contact a suspected people smuggler in the livestream chat. [3]
7. 诱饵 yòu ěr
bait, lure
以高薪工作为诱饵，以东南亚国家转机为借口，令人防不胜防 - Scammers use high-paying jobs as bait and stopovers in Southeast Asian countries as an excuse, so it has become impossible not to fall for it. [2]
Related:
诱骗 yòu piàn - lure into fraud, deceive
引诱 yǐn yòu - tempt, entice
8. 骗局 piàn jú
scam, fraud
为了让这个骗局更可信，骗子还出具了经营医疗器械的相关资质证书和商务邀请函 - To make this scam more convincing, the fraudster also provided a medical equipment license and a business invitation letter. [1]
Related:
行骗 xíng piàn - commit fraud, engage in scamming
9. 冒用 mào yòng
fraudulent use, misappropriate
冒用名义者，已然达到了自己的目的 - Those identity thieves have already achieved their goal. [1]
Related:
冒充 mào chōng - impersonate, fake
10. 团伙 tuán huǒ
gang, group
诈骗团伙能够准确地描绘出受害人的兴趣 - The fraud gang can accurately profile the victims to find out their interests. [1]
11. 蹊跷 qī qiao
suspicious, odd
才发现事有蹊跷，最终证实这只是一场骗局 - It was only then that they noticed something odd, and it was ultimately confirmed to be a scam. [1]
12. 滋生 zī shēng
breed, generate
只要有合适的土壤，诈骗活动就会源源不断地滋生 - As long as there is suitable conditions, fraudulent activities will continue to flourish. [1]
13. 纵容 zòng róng
condone, tolerate
对走私、毒品交易、赌博、人口买卖持纵容态度 - They condone smuggling, drug trafficking, gambling, and human trafficking. [2]
14. 脱险 tuō xiǎn
escape danger, get out of danger
我国政府也应该继续解救其他尚未脱险的中国公民 - Our government should continue to rescue other Chinese citizens who have not yet escaped. [2]
Three-character phrases
15. 老黄历 lǎo huáng lì
past events that don’t bear any meaning in the present
殊不知，这些早就是老黄历了 - Little did they know, these methods were already outdated. [1]
16. 三不管 sān bù guǎn
totally unregulated
这也是为什么东南亚的各种三不管地带，能够成为电诈团伙的犯罪天堂 - This is why ungoverned territories in Southeast Asia can become a crime haven for telecom fraud gangs. [1]
Idioms
17. 风声鹤唳 fēng shēng hè lì
paranoid, panic
道士被骗到缅北后失联，以至于玄学圈很长一段时间都风声鹤唳 - As a Taoist priest lost contact after being scammed to northern Myanmar, people around him were in a state of panic for a long time. [1]
Related:
草木皆兵 cǎo mù jiē bīng - Every bush and tree looks like an enemy soldier; paranoid (part of the same eight character idiom, 风声鹤唳，草木皆兵 which we have discussed before)
18. 心惊胆战 xīn jīng dǎn zhàn
startled, terrified
这些见闻让刘先生心惊胆战，唯一值得庆幸的，是儿子计算机专业出身 - What Liu saw left him terrified, but the only thing he could be thankful for was that his son had a background in computer science. [3]
Note: can also be written as 心惊胆颤, same pronunciation but less common
Related:
提心吊胆 tí xīn diào dǎn - anxious, on edge
19. 肆无忌惮 sì wú jì dàn
reckless, unscrupulous
电诈团伙肆无忌惮，最大的原因就是他们“肉身翻墙” - The telecom fraud gang can become so reckless, mainly because they are physically outside of the firewall. [1]
20. 隔岸观火 gé àn guān huǒ
watch from the sidelines
泰国政府的隔岸观火，让这里成为了打击电诈的真空地带 - The inaction of the Thai government has turned this area into a breeding ground for telecom fraud. [1]
21. 臭名昭著 chòu míng zhāo zhù
notorious, infamous
臭名昭著的缅北果敢“四大家族”之一的明家犯罪集团彻底覆灭 - The Mye Triade, one of the notorious "Four Families" of Kokang in northern Myanmar, was eliminated. [2]
Phrases
22. 量身定制 liáng shēn dìng zhì
tailor-made, customized
复盘就能发现，王星之所以会上当，因为这个骗局完全是“量身定制” - In hindsight, Wang Xing fell for the scam because it was completely tailor-made for him. [1]
23. 避之不及 bì zhī bù jí
to avoid something like the plague
大量国人开始对泰国避之不及 - A large number of Chinese people are now avoiding Thailand like the plague. [1]
24. 音讯全无 yīn xùn quán wú
no news, completely out of contact
弟弟打来电话告诉她，那边的人“天天都端着枪”，这之后，小安音讯全无 - Her brother Xiao An told her that people there "carry guns every day" in a phone call, and after that, there was no news from him. [3]
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