08-026 · EVIDENCE A · SOURCE-SENSITIVE
Check a person’s marital status before getting married; those who use marriage as a pretext to defraud money can be prosecuted for fraud.
结婚前核对对方婚姻状况，以结婚为幌子骗钱的按诈骗罪追究
No cost at all. Before registration, simply check the marital status listed on the other person’s ID card and household register. For any large sums of money exchanged, keep records of transfers and chat logs.
Marriages involving bigamy are invalid. Anyone who already has a spouse yet marries again, or who knowingly marries someone who already has a spouse, faces up to 2 years in prison. Those who use marriage as a ruse to steal money can be charged with fraud: if the amount taken is relatively large, they get up to 3 years; if it’s huge, 3 to 10 years; if it’s exceptionally massive, 10 years or life imprisonment. Always verify the marital status on the ID card and household register before tying the knot.
A
Move “Check a person’s marital status before getting married; those who use marriage as a pretext to defraud money can be prosecuted for fraud.” to Future Me's calendar
The excuse
I can spend longer deciding whether to start than the small action would take.
What feels good now
Today I keep a few minutes and avoid interrupting my default routine.
What the source says
The source summarizes the return this way: “Marriages involving bigamy are invalid. Anyone who already has a spouse yet marries again, or who knowingly marries someone who already has a spouse, faces up to 2 years in prison. Those who use marriage as a ruse to steal money can be charged with fraud: if the amount taken is relatively large, they get up to 3 years; if it’s huge, 3 to 10 years; if it’s exceptionally massive, 10 years or life imprisonment. Always verify the marital status on the ID card and household register before tying the knot.” Evidence grade A. The original states the population, caveats, and sources; this is not a personal forecast.
Use the original facts and limits. For an urgent medical, safety, financial, or legal issue, contact a qualified local professional or service.
THE ENGLISH EDITION
Original recommendation and evidence
26. Check a person’s marital status before getting married; those who use marriage as a pretext to defraud money can be prosecuted for fraud.
Cost: No cost at all. Before registration, simply check the marital status listed on the other person’s ID card and household register. For any large sums of money exchanged, keep records of transfers and chat logs.
In plain terms: Marriages involving bigamy are invalid. Anyone who already has a spouse yet marries again, or who knowingly marries someone who already has a spouse, faces up to 2 years in prison. Those who use marriage as a ruse to steal money can be charged with fraud: if the amount taken is relatively large, they get up to 3 years; if it’s huge, 3 to 10 years; if it’s exceptionally massive, 10 years or life imprisonment. Always verify the marital status on the ID card and household register before tying the knot.
Benefit: Bigamous marriages hold no legal weight. Persons who enter a second marriage while already married, or who knowingly wed someone already married, may be sentenced to 2 years or less. Those convicted of defrauding others of sizable sums face up to 3 years plus a fine; those guilty of massive fraud receive 3 to 10 years; those responsible for truly enormous fraud get 10 years or life imprisonment, plus a fine or seizure of assets (nationwide).
Evidence grade: A
Sources: National People's Congress (2020). Civil Code (Article 1051). <https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/202006/t20200602_463888.shtml>; National People's Congress (1997). Criminal Law (Article 258, 266). <https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/201802/t20180206_364975.shtml>
Notes: “Marriage fraud” itself isn’t a specific criminal category. Prosecution for fraud hinges on proof that the perpetrator intended to keep the money from the outset, fabricated lies to obtain it, and that police have launched an investigation. What counts as a “relatively large” sum is defined by judicial rulings, which may vary regionally; this section doesn’t confirm exact thresholds. Victims of such fraud can be either gender, and documented cases involve both dowries and bridal gifts being stolen.
Read the complete Chinese source and notes
26. 结婚前核对对方婚姻状况，以结婚为幌子骗钱的按诈骗罪追究
成本: 不花钱。登记之前看一眼对方的身份证和户口簿上的婚姻状况。大额的财物往来，留下转账记录和聊天记录。
说人话: 重婚的婚姻无效。有配偶还去结婚，或者明知对方有配偶还跟他结婚的，判 2 年以下。以结婚为幌子骗钱的，按诈骗罪追究：数额较大判 3 年以下，巨大判 3 到 10 年，特别巨大判 10 年以上或者无期。登记前看一眼对方身份证和户口簿上的婚姻状况。
收益: 重婚的婚姻无效。有配偶还去重婚的，或者明知对方有配偶仍然和他结婚的，判 2 年以下。诈骗公私财物数额较大的，判 3 年以下并处罚金。数额巨大的，判 3 到 10 年。数额特别巨大的，判 10 年以上或者无期，并处罚金或者没收财产（全国）
证据等级: A
来源: 全国人大 (2020). 民法典（第一千零五十一条）. <https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/202006/t20200602_463888.shtml>；全国人大 (1997). 刑法（第二百五十八、二百六十六条）. <https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/201802/t20180206_364975.shtml>
备注: 「骗婚」本身不是一个罪名。能不能按诈骗罪办，要看他一开始就想把钱占为己有，并且编了假话把钱骗到手，还得公安立案去查。够不够「数额较大」，金额由司法解释定，各地可以调整，本节没有核实。骗婚的受害者不分男女，被骗彩礼和被骗嫁妆的案例都有。
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