A businessman, cheated by his cousin in a 50 million yuan (US$7.3 million) investment scam, then allegedly fell victim to fraud again, being swindled out of nearly 4 million yuan, according to Baoshan District prosecutors.

Wang Dahai, from the eastern city of Ji’nan, was allegedly cheated by his cousin Wang Jinbao, who lives in Shanghai, out of 50 million yuan to buy an abandoned mine in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in February 2015.

Then at a banquet in March 2015, Wang befriended Ma Wen, who claimed he was a close friend of Shanghai police and promised to use his ties with them to help Wang, prosecutors said.

Wang was said to have then come to Shanghai to report his situation to police, but still gave Ma nearly 4 million yuan between March and November as fees to “bribe and treat police,” to help him get his money back.

Ma has been arrested and is facing a fraud charge, prosecutors added.