Man arrested for using AI to forge medical documents for restaurant extortion in Shanghai
A man in Shanghai used AI software to forge medical documents and invoices, then demanded compensation from restaurants by falsely claiming he became ill after eating there. He successfully extorted 2,500 yuan from at least one restaurant before police arrested him and confirmed the documents were fabricated.
What happened
A man in Shanghai used AI software to forge medical documents including hospital diagnostic certificates and invoices. He obtained images of another person's medical records and used AI to alter names, adjust dates, forge amounts, and add false diagnoses such as 'bacterial infection from consuming beef', creating fraudulent medical records and invoices.
The suspect attempted to extort restaurants by claiming he became ill after eating at their establishments and demanding compensation. He made false complaints to market supervision authorities and a consumer hotline (12315) using the forged materials to pressure restaurant owners into paying. He successfully extorted two restaurants for a total of 2,500 yuan and attempted extortion at two other locations.
Reported impact
A restaurant owner in Yangpu District initially paid 2,000 yuan in compensation. After learning from other restaurant owners that they had experienced similar incidents, he reported the matter to police, who arrested the suspect.
Index analysis
Police identified multiple inconsistencies in the forged documents: overly detailed disease descriptions, blurry footer stamps, and inconsistent printing formats. Investigators verified with the hospital that the suspect had no medical records there, confirming all materials were fabricated.
Governance controls
Shanghai Yangpu Public Security Bureau took criminal coercive measures against the suspect. Police conducted investigations including interviews with other diners from the restaurant to corroborate that no food poisoning incident occurred.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.