Introduction:A woman repeatedly claimed that bubble tea from the same chain contained foreign objects, extorting compensation ten times within a month and pocketing over 15,000 yuan in total. The business initially complied, but the frequent abnormal complaints triggered an investigation, ultimately leading to the woman being sentenced for extortion. This case reveals the consequences of maliciously exploiting food safety laws and serves as a warning to the food and beverage industry on how to identify and respond to similar situations.

A woman surnamed Zhang in Beijing used the excuse of finding what appeared to be a hair in her delivered bubble tea. Within just over a month, she made compensation claims at multiple outlets of the same bubble tea chain ten times. In these ten complaints, she even used the same photo of a foreign object as evidence six times, obtaining a total compensation amount exceeding 15,000 yuan. Initially, to avoid negative publicity and damage to their reputation, the stores mostly opted to compromise, processing refunds and paying tenfold compensation in accordance with relevant provisions of the Food Safety Law.

However, after receiving reports of similar complaints from multiple outlets, the loss prevention department of the chain became suspicious. The complaints were not only concentrated in the same area but also involved highly similar content and claim methods, raising internal alarms, which led to an investigation. It was discovered that all the complaints came from the same person, who had repeatedly used the same photo of a hair—an obvious red flag. The brand eventually chose to report the matter to the police.

After police intervention, they monitored the woman’s movements. She was arrested at an accounting firm while making her eleventh complaint. According to the investigation, Zhang admitted that she had indeed found a hair in her bubble tea initially and successfully obtained compensation through this method. However, after tasting the “easy money,” she deliberately tried to extort compensation multiple times using similar tactics without realizing she had broken the law.

Prosecutors pointed out that Zhang’s actions met the criteria for the crime of extortion under the Criminal Law. Even though she claimed she was merely “seeking compensation according to the law,” her repeated use of the same method and identical evidence—clearly beyond the scope of normal consumer disputes—demonstrated evident malicious intent and a profit motive. By law, extortion involving an amount of 3,000 yuan or more constitutes a criminal offense, and in this case, the amount exceeded 15,000 yuan, carried out intensively in just ten instances over a short period, indicating severe circumstances.

The court ruled that although Zhang expressed remorse after being brought to justice, compensated the businesses for their losses, and gained their forgiveness, her actions had caused tangible harm to the businesses’ operations and brand reputation. Considering her good attitude in pleading guilty, the Fengtai District People’s Court in Beijing ultimately sentenced Zhang to one year and three months in prison, suspended for one year and six months, along with a fine of 5,000 yuan.

This case is not only a warning against individual consumers abusing legal rights, but also a reminder to the broader food and beverage industry to stay vigilant when faced with foreign object complaints—especially when multiple similar complaints occur in a concentrated area, with duplicated evidence and identical claim methods. Businesses should promptly investigate such cases and keep records, seeking legal assistance when necessary. When dealing with claims for tenfold compensation under the Food Safety Law, businesses should also carefully assess the actual situation to avoid being exploited maliciously.

For consumers, it is important to assert their rights according to the law, but these rights should not become tools for seeking improper gains. The law protects reasonable and legitimate interests, not profit-seeking behavior under false pretenses. Zhang’s case is a profound lesson—momentary greed can result in a permanent criminal record that can never be erased.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.