A farmer was sentenced to four years jail after allegedly defrauding 44,850 yuan ($6,520) from 58 people by charging them a deposit on a fictional donkey.

    Police in Datong district, Daqing, Heilongjiang province, received a report from a villager claiming a man called Wangwu had disappeared after taking about 100 yuan deposit for a donkey.

    As similar reports flooded in, police finally tracked down the conman surnamed Zheng in June.

    He started playing the trick 17 months ago in a bid to repay a gambling debt, but found it hard to stop after making easy money.

    Police took him to the victims' homes to confront each of them after his confession.