Indonesian man discovers woman he married after a year of in-person romance was a man trying to scam him for money

Less than two weeks after the wedding, doubts emerged when AK observed Kanza's reluctance to interact with his family and her persistence in wearing her veiled clothing while at home. Photo: QQ.com

• Couple get together in person very quickly after hitting it off online
• Woman consistently wears niqab to cover head and face, hiding true identity as a man

A 26-year-old Indonesian man was shocked to discover just 12 days into his marriage that his wife, whom he had been dating for over a year, was actually a man attempting to scam him out of money.

The revelation shocked the Chinese internet, with many observers left astounded that the couple had dated in person for a year before getting married in April.

The husband, who used the alias AK, is from Naringgul, a region on the island of Java. He met the woman, Adinda Kanza, 26, on social media in 2023.

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After hitting it off online, the duo quickly made plans to meet in person. AK said Kanza always wore traditional Muslim attire that covered her entire face when they met, claiming to be a devout Muslim.

AK said the niqab did not bother him and viewed it as a sign of her devotion to Islam.

As the two planned their wedding, Kanza mentioned she had no family to attend the wedding, leading the couple to opt for a modest ceremony at AK's home on April 12.

Kanza even brought 5 grams of gold as dowry, but the couple did not officially register their marriage certificate.

However, just 12 days after the wedding, suspicions arose as AK noticed that Kanza refused to communicate with his family and continued to wear her veiled attire at home.

She also constantly found excuses to avoid intimacy, citing reasons ranging from her menstrual cycle to feeling unwell.

Deciding to investigate further, AK tracked down her supposed family address. Shockingly, he discovered that Kanza was not an orphan as she had claimed, and her parents were both alive and well.

Moreover, he learned that Kanza was actually a man, identified as ESH, who has been cross-dressing since 2020.

ESH's parents also revealed that they had never heard of AK as their "son-in-law" and were unaware of the relationship.

ESH later told the police that he intended to marry AK to steal his family's assets.

The police even noted that ESH genuinely resembled a woman, especially when wearing makeup, adding: "His voice is somewhat high-pitched, much like a woman's voice."

They further speculated that, although ESH had dated women in his life, he might have enjoyed impersonating a woman while dating men.

ESH has now been arrested and detained. Under local laws, he faces fraud charges and could face up to four years in prison.

The news, reported by Indonesian digital media outlet Detikcom and reposted in China by Red Star News, has astonished many observers.

Another expressed their disbelief: "What kind of news is this? It's shattering my worldview."

"Poor AK, he has faced the distressing ordeal of being deceived in a relationship with a cross-dresser for more than a year and ended up losing both marriage and money," said another mainland observer.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

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