TSI denies appeal in ‘relationship fraud’ case

The Court of Second Instance (TSI) has dismissed a defendant’s appeal in a fraud case involving a romantic relationship, upholding the Court of First Instance’s (TJB) decision to sentence the woman to three years in prison.

According to a statement from the Office of the President of the Court of Final Appeal, the woman began a romantic relationship with a man in 2019 through a social media application.

At the time, she claimed to be single and from a wealthy family in Shenzhen that owned several properties, including an apartment in Taipa’s One Grantai building.

Later that year, she falsely told her partner that she was pregnant with his child and wanted to travel to the United States to legalize their marriage.

Using various excuses and alleged traditions, she deceived the man into giving her large sums of money, which she justified as a “wedding gift.”

The man gave her a total of MOP230,000, but a few months later, she asked him for another MOP120,000, allegedly to transfer ownership of her housing unit to his name.

She continued to request money under different pretenses, including an additional MOP100,000, allegedly to support herself during the pregnancy.

The repeated demands prompted the man to visit the Property Registry Office, where he discovered that the apartment was not registered in her name.

Suspecting fraud, he filed a police report.

During the investigation, the woman admitted that all her claims were fabricated, including her family background, property ownership, and even the pregnancy.

Following the trial, the TJB convicted her of fraud involving a considerable amount and sentenced her to three years in prison.

In her appeal to the TSI, the defendant accused the court of misinterpreting the evidence, claiming that she had never hidden the fact that she was married and had children. However, the TJB refuted her claim after analyzing excerpts from her conversations and social media posts.

She also argued that there was no proof the man had given her a total of MOP350,000.

After reviewing bank records and transfer transactions, the court found sufficient evidence to support the statements made by the man and his mother regarding the payments. Conversation records further validated their claims.

The TSI rejected her appeal and upheld the TJB’s sentence.