AI-generated deepfake videos used to impersonate 'Shoulder Pole Girl' for fraud in China
Chinese police discovered and charged individuals who used AI-generated deepfake videos to impersonate Liu Yan, a real person known online as the 'Shoulder Pole Girl', to gain social media followers and fraudulently monetize through fake accounts and membership schemes.
What happened
In June 2025, Chinese police discovered multiple fraudulent social media accounts impersonating Liu Yan, a high school graduate known as the 'Shoulder Pole Girl' after she carried her belongings using a traditional pole following her college entrance exam. Huang Moujin, 28, registered two short video accounts under Liu Yan's identity and used AI tools to create over 20 fabricated videos from downloaded photos of the real person, accumulating 78,000 followers. Wu Moulin, 48, registered three accounts impersonating Liu Yan and published fake videos claiming to be true events.
Huang Moujin created a membership group with the intent to monetize through exclusive member fees. Wang Moufai, 38, and others modified their account names to impersonate Liu Yan to attract attention, though these individuals caused less serious social impact.
Reported impact
Huang Moujin's impersonation campaign generated 78,000 followers across two accounts. The fraudulent accounts exploited public sympathy for the real Liu Yan to attract engagement and monetize through membership schemes and related revenue streams.
Governance controls
Police in China's Ministry of Public Security's internet security division detected and investigated the fraudulent accounts. Huang Moujin received 10 days of administrative detention and a fine; Wu Moulin received an administrative fine. Wang Moufai and others received criticism and education from authorities.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.