Newcastle Deaths
Linked to Online Gambling Scam
 August
19 - It has come to light that the brutal murder of a Chinese
couple living in Newcastle, England, almost two weeks ago may
have been linked to an extensive online gambling scam
involving betting on UK football matches in China.
On Saturday August 9th, 26-year-olds, Zhen Xing Yang and Xi
Zhou, were killed in a frenzied' knife attack at the couple's
flat. A police investigation revealed that the couple may have
been killed in connection with their dubious business
activities.
The couple were allegedly involved in forging professional
qualifications as well as an online sports gambling scam where
they recruited people to watch live UK football matches and
report back to the couple via their cell phones with the
respective scores.
The couple would then call contacts of theirs in China with the
information, where matches are often televised with a minute
delay, and place bets based on that information, in effect
cheating the system. They allegedly recruited people via a
series of ads on selected UK-based Mandarin-language websites.
One ad read: 'Work: watch football games and send live
information to people. Requirement: Basic understanding of
football rules, no professional background needed, advantage if
you have a car. Location: Sheffield, London, Blackpool,
Portsmouth, York, Hull, and many other places.'
Police believe that non-payment by the couple to one or more of
the people they recruited may have been the motive behind the
couple's murder.
A Newcastle police spokesperson issued a statement that said:
'Community intelligence supported by the examination of computer
equipment and mobile call data has shown that both of the
victims have been involved in fraudulent activity which has
angered and upset a number of people.'
Police are currently examining the couple's computers to reveal
possible clues as to the identity of their killer or killers.
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