This bizarre advertising fraud case, recently, detonated the entire advertising circle.
At noon on July 12, BYD Co., Ltd. (002594, BYD), an electric vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Shenzhen, issued a statement on the official Weibo that “Li Juan and others used the name of BYD to carry out related business”, said Li Juan et al. In the name of Shanghai Yuhong Culture Communication Co., Ltd., Shanghai’s Pudong Century Avenue Guojin Phase II leased office, claiming to be BYD’s agency, and Li Juan took the role of general manager of Shanghai BYD Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd. Forged BYD's multiple seals, in the name of BYD, cooperated with a number of units and institutions in advertising and publicity.
In the statement, BYD stressed that Li Juan and others used the identity of BYD executives and signed contracts with any unit or agency with the forged BYD seal. BYD was unaware of it and had nothing to do with BYD.
This caused great concern in the car advertising circle.
Because in the past three years, a number of advertising companies have cooperated with Li Juan to engage in BYD's brand promotion activities, and most of them have not yet received corresponding business payments.
On the evening of July 12, Shanghai Jingzhi Advertising Co., Ltd. published an article titled "People BY Face, No D in the World", saying that the contract fraud identified in the BYD statement lasted for three years, involving at least 25 advertising providers. The accumulated amount is as high as 1.1 billion yuan. The competition advertisement lists a number of evidences that BYD is not unaware of the marketing activities carried out by Li Juan.
The most controversy of the whole scam is that many advertisers told the 澎湃 journalists that they have not given Li Juan benefits, because they have not received much money, it is really incomprehensible. If Li Juan is a liar, what does she mean?
Some advertisers told the 澎湃 journalist that Li Juan had recently surrendered to the police on the grounds that the source of the property was 12 million yuan. The advertisers are now anxious like the ants on the hot pot, discussing how to pursue the money.
The case: P2P boss was arrested and ignited the scam
In December 2016, Wang Ruoxing (a pseudonym), the head of an advertising company in Shanghai, began to pass the three advertising companies, such as Yuhong Culture, to undertake the 'National Gold BYD' (referred to as Li Juan’s so-called Shanghai BYD Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd., the same below) Marketing business. Previously, Wang Ruoxing undertook a number of offline promotion activities of BYD Auto, including small regional auto show, test drive and so on.
In March 2018, Wang Ruoxing received a notice from the 'National Gold BYD' that the three advertising agencies that the company had previously cooperated had financial difficulties. They wanted to turn Wang Ruoxing’s company into an agent, and Wang Ruoxing needed a sign. Agreement.
Wang Ruoxing considered that after becoming an agent, in addition to offline promotion, it can also undertake BYD's online advertising business. In addition, it has already had three years of cooperation with friends and 'national gold BYD'. Signing, he felt that there was nothing wrong with it.
On March 21 this year, Wang Ruoxing and Li Juan’s 'Shanghai BYD Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd.' (ie Guojin BYD), Shanghai Rigo Advertising Co., Ltd. and Wuhan Rigo Advertising Co., Ltd. signed a four-party agreement. The contract stipulated that Wang Ruoxing’s company On behalf of the 'National Gold BYD' to pay for the day high advertising 68.3 million yuan.
Wang Ruoxing said that 'National Gold BYD' told him that Hidaka Advertising had been the executive of their promotion activities, but the funds suddenly had problems, which led to the project being unable to advance.
Advance contract between a company and 'Shanghai BYD', Hidaka Advertising
In May, Wang Ruoxing suddenly discovered on the Internet that the other two P2P companies associated with Han Haiyong, the real controller of the 'Shanghai Rigao Advertising' designated by 'National Gold BYD', had a total amount of 6 billion yuan. Han Haiyong was suspected of illegally absorbing public property (deposits) and was detained by the police in Minhang District.
Wang Ruoxing felt bad. On May 25, he rushed to Pudong, Shanghai to report the case.
At that time, Hidaka had already received 41.3 million of us. He (Han Haiyong) suddenly went in. I was suspicious of whether I could receive BYD’s normal payment back. I chose to report the case based on the uneasy defense. Wang Ruoxing said that he used the "Li Juan contract fraud" as a matter of reporting.
Unexpectedly, this report ignited the fuse, which will be buried deep in the ground for 3 years, and the extremely bizarre advertising scam detonated.
According to Wang Ruoxing's recollection, since April this year, there have been some sayings about Li Juan's identity in the advertising circle. Some people speculate that Li Juan's identity is tricky, but there has been no real hammer. Wang Ruoxing did not take long after the report, another existence Concerned suppliers, after several twists and turns, through the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and BYD's secretaries Li Wei got in touch.
Wang Weixing's WeChat screenshot shows that Li Wei said on WeChat to the advertisers who came to inquire, 'I am worried that this company will be a fake BYD after the purchase. I suggest that you and the docked person be prepared for fraud.' After the supplier's list of 'National Gold BYD' staff, Li Wei said, 'I don't know anyone', and pointed out that the mailbox suffix of BYD employees is byd instead of sh-byd.
The news quickly spread in the advertising circle in Shanghai, and the entire advertising circle was blown up.
Double-sided middleman Li Juan
And Li Juan’s identity is still a mystery.
Many advertisers who have business dealings with 'National Gold BYD' have responded to the news reporters. In the process of business dealings, Li Juan has been showing the identity of 'Shanghai BYD Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd. East China Regional Marketing Department'.
Li Juan's business card
'From the beginning to the end, we all believe that this company is real, no doubt. After the incident, Liao Xiaoli (a pseudonym), the head of an involved advertiser, said in an interview with a reporter.
Why is it convinced that Liao Xiaoli said that she had previously held many events for BYD, including offline dealer conferences, during which Li Juan provided contact information for BYD national dealers, which made it impossible to doubt the true nature of cooperation. Sex, 'So many dealers are fake? We also gave BYD a regional test drive and demonstration activities. The new BYD cars used were all shipped and shipped by dealers. Where are so many cars coming from? What? I am also awkward, how have they become fake?
Others said that they saw Li Juan and BYD Shenzhen's purchasing team 'talking and laughing' 'intimacy'.
Jingzhi Advertising also questioned in the publicly released article. In the past three years, the company has conducted long-term cooperation with BYD, the general manager of BYD East China, and many activities have been widely reported by the automotive media. 'With such a large amount of activity, such a huge brand promotion, your company really doesn't know?'
A screenshot of a list of BYD dealers provided by Jingzhi Advertising shows the contact details of some BYD regional dealers. The authenticity of the document has not been confirmed by BYD.
However, BYD said in a statement that Li Juan used the name of Shanghai Yuhong Culture Communication Co., Ltd. as a starting point for the trial and free use of its own resources (advertising and activities), and actively contacted BYD and launched free advertising.
A BYD executive also responded to a reporter who said that Li Juan is not a BYD employee.
Advertiser Liu Li (pseudonym) told the reporters that they found in the mail exchange between Li Juan and Shenzhen BYD that Li Juan had indeed contacted BYD in the name of Yuhong Culture.
However, Yuhong Culture does not recognize Li Juan as their employees.
Wang Xiaoting, the person in charge of Yuhong Culture, replied to the reporter on the phone: 'Our company has never had Li Juan, she has nothing to do with our company.'
At present, many people can't explain why Li Juan wants to show people with two faces: one side travels as a party (National Gold BYD) to distribute business among many downstream advertisers; the other side is in the name of Party B advertisers. BYD's self-recommended, soliciting orders.
So who is Li Juan?
A personal biography of Li Juan as of 2015 shows that Li Juan was born in 1985, with a registered residence in Shanghai Baoshan, a college diploma, and worked in the Ryan Real Estate Market Department. Later, he entered Shanghai Sou Yi Advertising Media Co., Ltd. to engage in advertising business.
Wang Ruoxing had previously told the 澎湃 journalist that his company’s first project to receive 'National Gold BYD' in December 2016 was through Sou Yi. He said that Sou Yi Advertising and Yuhong Culture have a certain relationship at the shareholder level.澎湃The journalist did not find relevant evidence from the industrial and commercial materials.
BYD Arsenal cooperation event site documents
Magical Arsenal sponsorship contract: 1.2 million sponsored for 3 seasons?
So, does Li Juan have anything to do with BYD? Advertisers and BYD each hold a word.
BYD's third statement, 'BYD is unaware of it, and has nothing to do with BYD', completely angered these advertisers.
They believe that the most powerful evidence against BYD is that in June this year, BYD announced the sponsorship of the Premier League football club Arsenal. In the news report at the time, BYD Group Public Relations Minister Li Wei attended the event and left a live photo.
The insiders of BYD confirmed to the journalist that the information about Li Wei in the news is true.
Liu Li had witnessed the Quartet agreement between Yuhong Culture and Arsenal Club. It is strange that he saw two contracts. The terms of the two contracts are exactly the same. The only difference is that one At the same time, there are the official seals of BYD Group and Shanghai BYD (referring to Guojin BYD), while the other is only Shanghai BYD.
On the two contracts that Liu Li saw, it was agreed that BYD would sponsor the Arsenal club for three quarters at a price of 45 million yuan. According to Wu Lei (a pseudonym), an advertiser with Li Juan, as of the time of the incident. , Yuhong Culture has paid the sponsorship of the Arsenal Club 5 million yuan.
Regarding this cooperation, BYD provided another version of the statement. BYD's statement pointed out that in April 2018, Li Juan used the name of Shanghai Yuhong Culture Communication Co., Ltd. to promote BYD and Assen in the form of resource gift and preferential price. Advertising between the football clubs.
'How much is the price? BYD said it is 1.2 million.' After the Li Juan case, some advertisers saw an agent contract signed by Yuhong Culture and BYD on the Arsenal project in Li Juan’s computer. It is 1.2 million yuan. There is a seal of Yuhong Culture on the contract, but there is no chapter of BYD.
For this 1.2 million yuan contract, Wang Xiaoting, the actual controller of Yuhong Culture, did not know. On the morning of July 9, Wang Xiaoting took the lawyer to Shenzhen BYD, and the management of BYD presented a copy of the contract. Wang Xiaoting asked to see the original, but the other party said that the reason why the original could not be taken out was that she was afraid of being torn by Wang Xiaoting.
'1.2 million sponsored Arsenal for three seasons, this price, even the Pudong Lianhua football team can not sponsor. The listed company BYD can accept it calmly...' Liu Li expressed doubts about the authenticity of the contract.
However, Liu Li’s most indignant is why there is no BYD’s signature on the contract. 'Is it true that they are ready to go back? Even 1.2 million don’t want to pay? Even the contract is not signed, the executive Li Wei will dare to fly. Going to the UK to stand up for this signing event, it is illegal to put it on any listed company. Who is holding the whole thing?'
On the evening of July 13, Arsenal Football Club has issued a statement on its official website in China: According to BYD's information to Arsenal, BYD believes that it has become a victim of fraud involving many advertising agreements. May 8 this year On the day, Arsenal Club and BYD held a ceremony at the Emirates Football Stadium to announce the formal formation of a partnership. The incident also involved the cooperation that has been initiated. 'We are investigating the current situation of the incident and The BYD high-level representatives who participated in the launch of the cooperation discussed the matter together. The club will not comment more on this incident.
Regarding Li Wei, there is news that she is the niece of Mrs. Wang Chuanfu's wife Li Wei. Regarding the relationship between the two, many advertisers said that there is no evidence to prove that the rumors are mostly composed.
Liu Li pointed out that the 'contract door' incident at least proves that Li Wei has a deep background in BYD, and 'has been in class because of such major violations in other companies.'
Li Juan without identity and 'National Gold BYD' in the gray zone
'Shanghai BYD' in the second phase of Guojin.
Some advertisers have long felt that Li Juan and her business seem to be unable to see the light. Because Li Juan often said that to keep a low profile, 'National Gold BYD' is in the 'grey zone'.
'Why do you say that her (Li Juan)'s explanation is that BYD Shenzhen's shareholders are 'snoring', and the Shanghai team is a team set up by some high-level leaders to balance their interests. There is no legal status in the group. ' Wu Lei (Personal name) Tell the reporter, 'This is just a kind of rhetoric. No one knows the real reason behind it.'
'Almost what type of push, advertising, offline activities, whether it is regional nature, or boarding the TV channel, so many of our suppliers have helped BYD, the cumulative cost of three years is less than one billion, BYD Said that he did not know, I do not believe. 'Wang Ruoxing believes that BYD must know that a team like 'National Gold BYD' exists.
According to supplier analysis, BYD has arranged such a team with 'no name' to undertake important market work in Shanghai, which is based on the consideration of beautifying financial statements. 'As a listed company, it has the original appeal of looking at the report. In. Outside a company outside activities, such as this year's 10 billion expenditure, if the report is not good, I will not put it in, this is a possibility. ' Wu Lei guess.
What impressed Wu Lei was that one year, 'National Gold BYD' opened a dealer meeting in Macau, Shanghai and other places. At that time, there were no BYD executives at the scene. Li Juan was present as a representative of BYD. Li Juan said that some people cautioned She's going to be low-key, don't show what your identity is.' In the conference materials at the time, there was no explanation of Li Juan's identity. Even in her speech, she only used the following statement by Ms. Li Juan. skip.
In the interview, Liu Li thinks of a detail. He said that once in public, Li Juan suddenly received a phone call. The content of the phone was that someone informed her that she and the 'National Gold BYD' team would be BYD in Shenzhen. Admitted. After hearing this news, Li Juan even cried excitedly despite the attention of the people around him.
Disappearing 'online' Chen Zhenyu
After witnessing the telephone incident, Liu Li felt that Li Juan had been convinced that she was doing something for BYD.
Many advertisers mentioned to the reporters that Li Juan often mentioned that she was obeying a person named Chen Zhenyu. The resources of the BYD Group that Li Juan called were mostly from this person's arrangement.
However, among the advertisers interviewed by the journalists, no one has had an intersection with Chen Zhenyu. 'No one of us has ever seen Chen Zhenyu. We doubt whether this person really exists.' Wu Lei said, rumors inside the circle, Chen Zhenyu is Canada. Hong Kong native, currently settled in Canada.
There is also a widely circulated saying among advertisers that Chen Zhenyu and BYD’s senior vice president in charge of the North American market, Li Wei, have a very strong relationship, so there is speculation that 'Li Juan is a Li Wei’.' At the same time, Li Wei is also the founder of BYD. Ren, the wife of the chairman Wang Chuanfu. However, these rumors have not been confirmed by BYD.
After Wang Ruoxing reported the case, more and more people came to Li Juan to speak. At this time, Chen Zhenyu disappeared, and Li Juan, who believed that he was doing something for BYD, realized that he was a victim. Some suppliers asked Li. Juan, is it a fictional non-existing 'online' to give himself offense. Li Juan is anxious, she took out a group of five people, telling each other, the man in the middle of the photo is Chen Zhenyu, let everyone help him together 'Human flesh' find him.
A Li Juan self-reported document circulating among advertisers shows that Li Juan said that after she graduated in 2009, she met Chen Zhenyu in Ryan Real Estate. After that, they only had a cold relationship on the Internet. In 2016, I worked in an advertising company. Li Juan suddenly received Chen Zhenyu's invitation and asked him to join his own team to complete the blood exchange work of BYD Group with Li Ke. Chen Zhenyu claimed to be the invisible shareholder of BYD Group and appointed Li Juan as the head of BYD Shanghai team, responsible for marketing activities. carried out.
An advertiser said that Li Juan said that she has been receiving instructions from Chen Zhenyu through qq, qq video, voice and email. In the process of Li Juan's presentation, all her communication with the region and the resources needed by the region are It was Chen Zhenyu's arrangement, not that she took the initiative.
According to an advertiser who has seen this self-reported document, even after BYD publicly announced that he did not recognize Li Juan as his employee, Li Juan did not choose to run, but still went to work at the National Gold Office every day, 'We were there. Every day in their office, Li Juan is also sorting out the materials and writing these things. 'But even this advertiser said that he is not sure about the authenticity of the content mentioned by Li Juan.
Li Juan showed the photo to the advertisers, one of which was Li Juan and the third was 'Chen Zhenyu'.
Li Juan 'in a hurry' with 12 million real estate sources unknown 'self-shoulder'
Wang Ruoxing discovered that Li Juan’s loss was in mid-June this year, after BYD’s first complaint on contract fraud on June 13th. In that statement, BYD did not name the name, only mentioned the existence of advertising contract fraud. The risk, remind the supplier to pay attention. On July 4, BYD issued a second statement, mentioning the name of Li Juan.
What makes Wang Ruoxing puzzled is that if Li Juan is really a fraudster, why didn't she run before BYD officially issued a statement? 'Is the money she cheated is not enough to support the run, or she didn't want to run?'
Liao Xiaoli told the 澎湃 journalist that about how Li Juan was arrested, BYD’s statement in the third statement was quite different from the facts. 'At the time, more and more suppliers found Li Juan to call her back, even some people on the phone. Threatening her, Li Juan chose to surrender for personal safety considerations. 'Liao Xiaoli also mentioned that Li Juan had asked her before the loss of the association, do not disclose her phone number to other people, worried that more people would look for her.
BYD’s statement on July 12 stated that after discovering the illegal acts of Li Juan and others, BYD reported to the Shanghai police that Li Juan was suspected of falsifying the company’s seal and contract fraud. The police seized several pieces at Li Juan’s office. Forged BYD seal, Li Juan has been taken by the police for compulsory measures.
As the advertisers who suffered the losses got together, more and more information about Li Juan’s loss before the alliance was pieced together. According to an advertiser named Wu, Li Juan first went to the police station to report the case and told Chen Zhenyu to swindle. However, the police station did not accept it. The reason is that contract fraud must first prove that BYD’s promotion activities are fictitious. On the other hand, there is no clear fraud beneficiary in Li Juan’s description. In an emergency, Li Juan reported at the police station’s door. Police, said that the source of a set of 12 million homes in Jing'an, Shanghai is unknown.
This statement was approved by Liu Li: 'Basically true, the house involves another case, but it has nothing to do with BYD.'
After Li Juan lost contact, 'National Gold BYD' suddenly became a fake company that did not exist.
On July 4th, the employees of 'National Gold BYD' received a notice from Shanghai International Service (Group) Co., Ltd., asking them to go to the Foreign Service Service Center to explain the situation.
The notice stated that 'Shanghai BYD Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd. claimed that it has never hired you, and you have never worked for Shanghai BYD Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd.. From the current situation of our company, Shanghai BYD Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd. did not give you Arrange the workplace and work content. '
No one is benefiting from the scam?
Throughout the event, what advertisers can't understand is – if Li Juan is cooperating with advertisers in the name of BYD, how can she benefit from it?
Liao Xiaoli told the 澎湃 journalist that the advertising industry will generally receive 30% of the advance payment from Party A's project. After the advance payment, the advertiser will pay the activity fee first, and then Party A will pay the payment. Activity materials, the money was paid to the factory, and the money from the venue was given to the venue property. There is no penny for Li Juan. Who has no interest, and who will do it? 'If BYD’s statement is true, Li Juan’s truth What is the purpose, let Liao Xiaoli and others puzzled.
'Who is the victim of this case? It is us. The perpetrator is Li Juan and her accomplices, then who is the beneficiary? Not Li Juan, or at least her profit ratio is extremely low. Li Juan is defrauding Our labor, not our money. This thing is very strange. ' Wu Lei said.
After BYD’s announcement, the journalist consulted a management of BYD on the intention of Li Juan’s fraud. He replied: 'She (Li Juan) signed with others, we don’t know, how many signed, how to sign We don't know. Now wait for the police investigation results. 'For the authenticity of the dealer's statement, the person in charge will also reply with 'waiting for police investigation results'.
Wu Lei believes that Li Juan's wrist may be to use the time difference of funds to arbitrage. Since 2018, many advertisers have received the notice of 'National Gold BYD', requesting that the repayment period be changed from 180 days to 210 days. .
Wang Ruoxing firmly believes: 'Without the deep participation of BYD, Li Juan alone can't do such a big game.'
On the one hand, the advertisers have different opinions. On the other side, after the dispute on July 12 caused controversy, BYD once again fell silent. During the period from July 12 to 13, the journalists repeatedly called BYD Intellectual Property and Legal Affairs Office. Wang, who was in charge of the case, refused the interview because of the meeting, saying that the person in charge would contact the reporter later. However, as of press time, he still had no contact with Wang.