A man accused of cheating three local jewelry shops out of more than 8,000 yuan (US$1,298) by trading silver accessories with a thin coat of gold was charged with fraud yesterday, prosecutors said.
The suspect, Deng Bo, about 30, was caught on October 8 last year when he tried to use the trick with a necklace that was mainly silver at a fourth jewelry shop, officials said.
Prosecutors said Deng would ask jewelry store clerks to help him unbuckle the necklace so that the clerks would see the buckle was made of solid gold with a label of a famous gold jewelry shop in Shanghai, so they would think the whole necklace was made of gold.
The clerks at the fourth shop had been told of the previous fraud cases during the National Day holiday.
Prosecutors said Deng tried to exchange a necklace he claimed was gold for new jewelry at the shop in the Pudong New Area. He selected two gold bracelets and gave the silver necklace coated with gold to the clerk, prosecutors said.
The clerk, surnamed Cui, checked the necklace carefully since Deng matched the description of the suspect. Deng was caught by police called by Cui to the scene.
