婚托
释义 DEFINITION
婚托原指婚礼中协助新人的工作人员，但在当代互联网语境中特指婚介机构雇佣的虚假客户。主要含义包括：
- 【字面义】婚姻仪式中的协助者（已基本不用）
- 【网络流行义】伪装成相亲对象骗取服务费/礼金的人员（占当前使用量的98%以上）
该词现多用于揭露婚恋市场骗局，常见于社会新闻和维权讨论。2023年中国消费者协会数据显示，涉及婚托的投诉量同比增长67%。
词源故事 ETYMOLOGY
婚托现象的兴起与中国婚恋市场的产业化密切相关。21世纪初，随着珍爱网、百合网等婚介平台的崛起，行业规模在2022年达到120亿人民币。部分不良商家为追求利润，开始系统性雇佣婚托。
2016年北京朝阳法院审理的典型案例显示，某婚介所让同一女性同时与23名男性『交往』，每人收取6888元VIP费。这些婚托往往接受过专门的话术培训，会虚构教师、医生等体面职业身份。
社交媒体的曝光加速了该词的传播。微博话题#婚托套路大揭秘#累计阅读量达4.2亿次，网友总结出婚托三大特征：
- 首次见面必选高端消费场所
- 急切推进关系却回避视频通话
- 联系方式频繁更换
2023年公安机关推出的『全民反诈』APP特别新增婚恋诈骗识别功能。例句：『我姑妈花2万见了3个对象，结果全是婚托，现在要去消协投诉！』
DEFINITION
Matchmaking Scammer (Huntuo) refers to professionally hired decoys in China's dating industry. Key points:
- Literally: Wedding assistant (obsolete usage)
- Modern meaning: Fraudsters posing as eligible singles to lure victims into paying expensive matchmaking fees, often colluding with dating agencies
This term gained traction after CCTV's 2020 expose revealing how some agencies employ 5-10 full-time scammers. Victims typically lose $1,500-$7,000 before realizing the deception.
ETYMOLOGY
The Huntuo phenomenon mirrors China's unique social pressures. With 24 million 'leftover men' in rural areas and 38% urban women delaying marriage (2023 National Bureau of Statistics data), matchmaking services have become a $2 billion industry vulnerable to exploitation.
These scammers operate with military precision. A 2021 police raid in Shanghai uncovered a 'Huntuo training manual' detailing how to:
- Select coffee shops with ¥200+ minimum spend
- Wear counterfeit luxury brands (e.g., Gucci belts)
- Abort dates if targets mention prenuptial agreements
TikTok creators like @AntiScamQueen have popularized the term through viral videos demonstrating Huntuo's signature moves, such as 'accidentally' ordering expensive French wine. As dating apps globalize, similar scams are emerging in Southeast Asian markets - Malaysians now call them 'Buroh Cinta' (love brokers).