Flash Marriage Scams Spread in China as Falling Birth, Marriage Rates Fuel Desperation

A couple in traditional Chinese clothing pose for wedding portraits in Beijing on Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14, 2013. Lintao Zhang/Getty ImagesAs the Chinese regime seeks ways to boost marriage and birth rates amid a worsening demographic decline, a new form of marriage fraud is drawing attention. So-called “flash marriages,” where men pay large sums in matchmaking fees and bride prices only to find themselves abandoned shortly after legally marrying, are emerging.What was once considered a lifelong commitment is increasingly being treated by some participants as a short-term transaction, according to victims, lawyers, and court cases. In several reported instances, women were introduced through matchmaking agencies, married within days, and then quickly disappeared or sought divorce, leaving husbands with significant financial losses.