China KOLs banned for posing as wives of Dubai royalty to sell subpar household items

Influencers in China who posed as “Middle Eastern princesses” to market “royal” lifestyle products have had their accounts banned on mainland social media platforms, igniting widespread attention.

Luo Jialin, a popular Douyin key opinion leader (KOL) with 100,000 followers, shared a video in front of a luxurious villa, dressed in an elegant gold evening gown and adorned with a striking jade necklace, with her arm around an Arab-looking man.

Luo claimed: “My husband is a young prince from a wealthy and influential Saudi family. I’m over four months pregnant.”

She also mentioned her plans to relocate to Saudi Arabia with her husband soon, stating she is selling off “hundreds of millions in assets” in China at a loss to give back to her fans.

During her live-stream, Luo offered various items labelled as “French perfume” and “British royal laundry detergent”, all priced under 50 yuan (US$7).

Many viewers expressed scepticism about the products, commenting: “Why are the prince and princess selling ordinary items instead of luxury goods?”