Digital Twin: Liann Zhang, Julie Chan is Dead
Bloomsbury
Psychological thriller writer Liann Zhang's debut novel
Julie Chan is Dead
satirises Instagram and Tiktok stars, social media, status and obsession.
When Julie Chan steals her dead identical twin's internet sensation persona she inherits her sponsorship deals, her followers, her wealth, her whole life. Julie Chan had nothing. Her twin sister has everything.
Liann Zhang is a second-generation Chinese Canadian, who after a short stint as a skincare content creator, graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in psychology and criminology. Liann speaks with Susie.
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RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Father of NZ woman detained by US immigration believes she'll be released this week
A GoFundMe has been set up for New Zealand woman Sarah Shaw and her six-year-old son Isaac. Photo: GoFundMe The father of a New Zealander detained in the United States believes there is a 90 percent chance she will be released before the end of the week. Sarah Shaw and her six-year-old son were detained by US immigration at the Canadian border three weeks ago, after she tried to leave and re-enter the US without both parts of her visa approved. On 24 July, Shaw drove across the border from her home in Washington state to Vancouver, to see two of her three children onto a direct flight to New Zealand to visit their grandparents. Waiting at the other end was her dad Rod Price, who told RNZ a frantic phone call was the first indication anything was amiss. "We got messages all the way through - yes, they're at the airport, they're on the plane, they're taking off - and then she went to go back across into the US, and then I got a frantic call to say that she's being detained and they're about to take my phone off me and they're locking me up for the night." He started to get properly concerned when he heard they had flown Shaw and Isaac to Texas, to the nearest detainment centre which accommodates families. The conditions had been difficult for them both. Her friend Victoria Besancon previously told RNZ the detention facility was "very similar to a prison" . "She is in a locked room with five bunk beds, she is allowed to walk around the facility from 8am to 8pm, but outside of that she is locked in a cell with other families." But Price said among the detainees, they were the lucky ones. His daughter spoke English as a first language and had access to good lawyers - even if the logistics involved in contacting them were a little complicated. Her lawyer Minda Thorward told RNZ: "I cannot call her, she can only call me, and then I have to be available to recieve the call and press one to allow the call to come through. So communication is a little bit of an issue." Besancon has been appointed power of attorney, making logistics a little easier. The past week had brought a big increase in media coverage and pressure from Washington state officials, and staff from the New Zealand embassy had made contact with Shaw, after learning of her case from reports in the media. Besancon said it was making a difference. "They started really changing the way they've been speaking with her legal representation." And Price said they were feeling optimistic. "There's a 90 percent chance that she's going to be out Thursday, which is our Friday, 3pm. She's so confident that she's already booked a flight back to Seattle." If that did not go to plan, a court date was locked in for 29 August, in which Shaw would have the opportunity to fight for her release in front of a judge. Meanwhile, her other two children, aged 8 and 10, were enjoying sunny Whangaparāoa, although they were anxious for their mum, Price said. "Ah, the young fella, it's just water off a duck's back, but my granddaughter is - she won't outright say it - but you know, you can tell by their actions and their concern and questions." He said the children would be staying with him until there was someone to meet them at the other end. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Father of New Zealander detained by ICE believes she'll be released this week
A GoFundMe has been set up for New Zealand woman Sarah Shaw and her six-year-old son Isaac. Photo: GoFundMe The father of a New Zealander detained in the United States believes there is a 90 percent chance she will be released before the end of the week. Sarah Shaw and her six-year-old son were detained at the Canadian border three weeks ago, after she tried to leave and re-enter the US without both parts of her visa approved. On 24 July, Shaw drove across the border from her home in Washington state to Vancouver, to see two of her three children onto a direct flight to New Zealand to visit their grandparents. Waiting at the other end was her dad Rod Price, who told RNZ a frantic phone call was the first indication anything was amiss. "We got messages all the way through - yes, they're at the airport, they're on the plane, they're taking off - and then she went to go back across into the US, and then I got a frantic call to say that she's being detained and they're about to take my phone off me and they're locking me up for the night." He started to get properly concerned when he heard they had flown Shaw and Isaac to Texas, to the nearest detainment centre which accommodates families. The conditions had been difficult for them both. Her friend Victoria Besancon previously told RNZ the detention facility was "very similar to a prison" . "She is in a locked room with five bunk beds, she is allowed to walk around the facility from 8am to 8pm, but outside of that she is locked in a cell with other families." But Price said among the detainees, they were the lucky ones. His daughter spoke English as a first language and had access to good lawyers - even if the logistics involved in contacting them were a little complicated. Her lawyer Minda Thorward told RNZ: "I cannot call her, she can only call me, and then I have to be available to recieve the call and press one to allow the call to come through. So communication is a little bit of an issue." Besancon has been appointed power of attorney, making logistics a little easier. The past week had brought a big increase in media coverage and pressure from Washington state officials, and staff from the New Zealand embassy had made contact with Shaw, after learning of her case from reports in the media. Besancon said it was making a difference. "They started really changing the way they've been speaking with her legal representation." And Price said they were feeling optimistic. "There's a 90 percent change that she's going to be out Thursday, which is our Friday, 3pm. She's so confident that she's already booked a flight back to Seattle." If that did not go to plan, a court date was locked in for 29 August, in which Shaw would have the opportunity to fight for her release in front of a judge. Meanwhile, her other two children, aged 8 and 10, were enjoying sunny Whangaparāoa, although they were anxious for their mum, Price said. "Ah, the young fella, it's just water off a duck's back, but my granddaughter is - she won't outright say it - but you know, you can tell by their actions and their concern and questions." He said the children would be staying with him until there was someone to meet them at the other end. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- RNZ News
Fake fashion store scams hit NZ buyers and genuine shops
Stock image. Online ads showing what look like designer garments can appear in your social media feed, taking you to a website for an apparently independent local clothing store. Photo: 123rf Online advertisements for fake boutique clothing stores with New Zealand locations in their names have been surging, with hundreds of complaints to Consumer NZ. An attractive photo of what looks like a designer garment can appear in your social media feed, taking you to a website for an apparently independent local clothing store. In many cases, there is an emotional message about the business closing down, and all prices are on clearance sale. David Wellington is one of the many fake stores, aggressively targeting New Zealanders on social media. "Sadly, we are forced to close our boutique," it says at the top of the website. "What began as a simple idea - a father and his daughter wanting to spend quality time together - grew into something truly special. For the past 20 years, we have poured our heart and soul into creating clothing that reflects warmth, care, and character. "From shirts and jackets to trousers, dresses, sandals, blouses, and bags - each item was made with love, with the hope of leaving a piece of ourselves in every detail. "We built our boutique to be more than just a store; we aimed to create a welcoming space for our community here in New Zealand. But as the cost of living has continued to rise, keeping our boutique open has become increasingly difficult - and now, sadly, impossible." RNZ First Up staff member Jeremy Parkinson was a recent victim of the scam. "We read the story, looked at the pictures and made a couple of purchases," he said. When the garments arrived, he quickly realised they were fake. "It was quite funny actually, because I opened them up and they were flimsy. Clearly not wool, really badly made, terribly made, and they just looked cheap. "I just laughed out loud. It was just a cable knit pattern printed on God knows what sort of material." It was definitely not worth the $240 they spent, he said. "They've gone to scammer school and they came top top of the class. Initially they they said, 'yes we are a New Zealand company' and blah blah blah, and then they offered a refund but we had to pay to send it back to China." Luckily for him, he had made the purchase through PayPal, which tried to contact the seller. "It came back with a refund through PayPal because the seller hadn't made contact with them. So that was good. We got the money back." Others have not been so lucky. In the same week that Parkinson was scammed, First Up heard from an Auckland woman who had lost $80 when buying an item on the David Wellington website using her credit card. She was not able to get a refund, but Sahar Lane at Consumer NZ said banks should be able to help. "You can use a credit card or debit card. That way if things go wrong you can request a charge back from your bank," she said. "Something else worth keeping in mind is that if you do go through the purchase, you can act quickly to make sure that your bank. The details aren't compromised. You can call your bank and let them know that you've made a potentially A dodgy purchase, or pause your card." Unfortunately, she said it was very difficult to enforce New Zealand's consumer laws on such scammers. "Under the Fair Trading Act, it is illegal for traders to mislead customers, give them false information or make misrepresentations, and under the Consumer Guarantees Act there's also protections. If the item is faulty or damaged when it arrives or doesn't match the description, but it can be really challenging to enforce rights against an overseas entity." Online boutique fraudsters are also affecting New Zealand's real independent stores. The Matakana Village Farmers Market said it has had a wave of visitors looking for items they saw at - another fake online shop. "We've had a wave of people arriving in the village looking for items they saw on - many thinking it's a local boutique," the group said on its Instagram profile. "Just to clarify: that website is not based in Matakana, and there's no physical store here connected to it. "Several shoppers who ordered from the site told us their parcels arrived from China, nothing like the photos, and some said they felt scammed. This confusion has led to real, locally-owned boutiques like us, White Cottage, and Two Boutique, as well as the genuine having to explain the difference - often to very disappointed visitors." Sahar Lane said the best advice was still for the buyer to beware. "Thinking twice before clicking on those links and ads in the first place. If it seems too good to be true, for example, locally made for cheap, it usually is." She advised being skeptical of products or ads where there was pressure tactics like emotional messages involved. "If you're also unsure whether it is a local business, you could look them up on the New Zealand Companies register to find out if it does exist in New Zealand before purchasing." Consumer New Zealand currently has a petition open called Stamp Out Scams. It wants to put pressure on the government to introduce a national scam framework that holds businesses to account. As for Jeremy Parkinson, he will be more careful. "The lesson is to not make purchases in the middle of the night when you can't sleep. Really think about what you want and and actually just make sure if you think you're buying locally that you are actually buying locally." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
