Chinese influencers pose as Middle Eastern royals to sell fake luxury goods, banned | Trending

A group of Chinese social media influencers who posed as “Middle Eastern princesses” to promote luxury lifestyle products have had their accounts suspended on mainland social media platforms, reported the South China Morning Post. The move has sparked widespread attention online, with many users criticising the influencers for their deceptive marketing tactics. Accounts of influencers posing as “Middle Eastern princesses” have been banned.(Pixabay) One such influencer, Luo Jialin, a popular Douyin Key Opinion Leader (KOL) with 100,000 followers, shared a video in which she appeared in front of a lavish villa, dressed in a gold evening gown and wearing a prominent jade necklace, while standing next to an Arab-looking man. Luo claimed that her husband was a young prince from a wealthy and influential Saudi family and that she was over four months pregnant. She also mentioned her plans to move to Saudi Arabia with her husband soon, revealing that she was selling “hundreds of millions in assets” at a loss in China to give back to her fans. During the livestream, Luo marketed various products, including “French perfume” and “British royal laundry detergent,” all priced below 50 yuan (about US $7, 582 INR). However, many viewers questioned the authenticity of these items, with some commenting, “Why are the prince and princess selling ordinary items instead of luxury goods?” Those who expressed such doubts were swiftly removed from the live stream the host. Another influencer, dressed in traditional Middle Eastern attire and a headscarf, appeared in a luxury car alongside her “Dubai prince.” She announced that she planned to divorce her husband and sell off products at discounted prices in order to liquidate assets. During one of her live streams, 300 pairs of stockings priced at 6 yuan were sold, along with more than 1,000 orders for 2 kg of “British laundry detergent” priced at 6.99 yuan each. China cracks down on influencersState-run China Youth Daily reported that these influencers had hired foreign actors to impersonate princes and princesses while marketing low-quality products. Their accounts were eventually banned, and the products were removed from sale. The exact penalties they faced have not been disclosed. Also read: Chinese man arrested for operating 400 phones to win gifts in Live-Stream raffles In response to the controversy, the Dubai Chinese community, DXBcom, issued a statement clarifying that no royal family members from Arab states had authorised any livestream sales in China. The viral trend of “Middle Eastern Princess” livestreams has sparked widespread discussions across mainland social media. One netizen shared on Weibo: “These influencers are exploiting fans’ admiration and curiosity towards successful and wealthy elites.” Another user added: “My mother once bought a 30 yuan (US$4) perfume from a so-called princess, and it smelled terrible. Do not be deceived cheap offers; it’s clearly a scam targeting older individuals with poor judgment.” Also read: Chinese man gets ₹3.2 crore gift after discovering ex’s affair with his nephew The phenomenon has also caught the attention of legitimate Chinese influencers married to individuals from Middle Eastern countries. One such influencer, known as “Saudi Rou Ser,” has garnered 2.55 million followers on Douyin sharing her journey of launching a perfume brand with her husband in Saudi Arabia. She commented, “There aren’t that many so-called rich tycoons in the Middle East. True nobles tend to remain low-key and do not frequent social media.”