
A Chinese woman who was working as a cashier, earning 8,000 yuan (approximately Rs 1 lakh) per month, has been found to have embezzled nearly 17 million yuan (Rs 20 crore) from her employer, according to The South China Morning Post. The substantial sum was reportedly used to finance an extravagant lifestyle, including extensive cosmetic surgeries and luxury purchases.
According to SCMP, over a period of six years, the individual underwent cosmetic procedures four times annually, with each session costing an estimated 300,000 yuan (Rs 36 lakh). In addition to her physical transformations, she cultivated an image of wealth on social media, spending approximately two million yuan (Rs 2 crore) each year on high-end goods. These acquisitions included diamond bracelets valued at over 100,000 yuan (Rs 12 lakh) and limited-edition crocodile skin handbags. Further investigations revealed her participation in gambling activities at Macau casinos.
As per the Chinese Media house, the 41-year-old, who used the pseudonym Wang Jing, worked as a cashier for a flower and gardening services company in Shanghai that was founded by a person surnamed Xu in 2018.
To facilitate payments, Xu and Wang set up a secured online banking system that was controlled by Wang.
Xu had hired a professional accounting firm and could monitor the company's finances via her phone, so she felt reassured and placed her trust in Wang.
However, Wang had secretly been treating the company's account as her personal vault, using it to fund an extravagant lifestyle.
She confessed that her sole motivation at work was to transfer company funds into her own account for personal use.
"I am blinded by vanity, I have never spent money on any man. I just want to make myself look better," Wang told SCMP, adding: "I enjoy being praised and looking young."
The scheme unravelled in July 2024 when the tax authorities made an unannounced visit to the company and discovered discrepancies between its actual operations and its tax declarations.
At that time, the company's accounts were empty, forcing Xu to use her personal savings to cover employee social security payments.
The Changning District People's Procuratorate in Shanghai officially indicted Wang Jing on charges of embezzlement and fraud. The case is ongoing.
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