Lived as his dead brother's identity for 19 years - and was caught due to one mistake

A Chinese man wanted for kidnapping and robbery lived under the identity of his twin brother who died in a car accident for 19 years. The fraud was uncovered after an old photo and testimony from a woman who knew both brothers revealed the secret. The suspect was arrested in June 2026.

A Chinese man wanted for kidnapping and robbery managed to deceive authorities for 19 years by assuming the identity of his twin brother who died in a car accident in 2007. The fraud was uncovered in April 2026, when during a renewed review of old investigation files, police noticed a name change request the suspect had filed just nine days after his brother's death, and that the attached photo did not match his previous images. Investigators located a woman named Deng, the former partner of the deceased brother, who confirmed that the person who died in the accident was her ex-partner, not the wanted suspect. On June 4, 2026, the suspect was arrested in the city of Zhuhai in southern China, 24 years after he had fled. Biological tests confirmed his identity. The case was transferred for prosecution review.