LIU HANTING remains on the untrustworthy list and restricted from taking high-speed trains, planes or starting a business, even after local police had proved his innocence and cleared him of liability for debts of more than 30 million yuan (US$4.38 million).

The nightmare began for Liu when he received a call from the Shenzhen Branch of China Minsheng Bank in 2012, saying that he owed the bank 370,000 yuan in overdraft on his credit card, but Liu said he never opened a credit card with that bank.

The bank gave Liu the ID number, full name and address, all of which were correct.

Liu later found all of the registration materials the bank had on file matched his personal information except for the photo, which was a totally different person.

Shenzhen police identified one suspect as Liu Peiwei, who is being sought for contract fraud. Liu Peiwei actually used Liu Hanting’s name and address to apply for a new ID card at a police station in Liu Hanting’s hometown in Huilai County. The identity had also been used to set up a company in Shenzhen, raise funds through private loans and overdraft multiple credit cards opened by Liu Peiwei in Liu Hanting’s name at several banks since 2009.

Liu Hanting found out that his name had been involved in dozens of lawsuits, racking up 30 million yuan in debt.

With a police certificate stating that Liu Hanting had been victimized, many cases have been resolved with one exception.

On July 30, Liu Hanting lost his application for a second trial over a 4-million-yuan debt that Liu Peiwei owed to a loan guarantee company. Even though the company admitted that Liu Hanting wasn’t the actual borrower, the court still ruled identity wasn’t a prerequisite for dropping the case.

The fugitive is still at large, while Liu Hanting is in a lot of trouble as the court is keeping him locked on the untrustworthy list. (Han Ximin)