A middle-aged woman swindled money from at least 360 men before being arrested in Puyang, Henan Province recently, reports Xinhua.

Pei Yumei, mother of five, moved from rural Puyang into the city's busy downtown area in 1994, but she didn't start swindling potential partners until 2000.

Using various assumed names, Pei bought four forged identity cards and other certificates, then published a series of advertisements in newspapers seeking a spouse. Several middle-aged and elderly men responded to the ads.

Pei was able to talk most of the men into giving her money and goods by making up sob stories.

It is difficult to know exactly how much money she swindled in total, as a majority of the men affected were reluctant to report their losses to police.

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