My friend Mark, who works as a VIP manager for a luxury brand, made my jaw drop when he told me a story about one of his VIP clients, Apple.

Mark met Apple at one of the brand's events. She was about 35 years old, and blessed with signature long legs, big boobs and a pale complexion. Her body was well-suited to the tastes of the average Asian man. To top it off, she wore a Chanel jacket, carried a Lady Dior bag, and flaunted Jimmy Choo shoes. Obviously, Mark smelled money on her.

Mark showed me Apple's WeChat posts. She dined at fancy restaurants, frequented auction houses, drove a BMW, traveled abroad and lived in a high-end neighborhood. He thought she was just another rich girl, until he learned the truth from our tuhao acquaintance, Michael. Michael and Apple were neighbors. They met through a "business meeting." He was her client.

It turned out that Apple was a call girl who was exceptionally good at social media. She rented an apartment in a rich neighborhood and by using WeChat's features Shake and People Nearby to meet strangers, she fished for her targets. She could earn up to 40,000 yuan ($6,458) per night if she slept with her neighbor.

Social media is shaking up the escort business. WeChat allows people to create another identity for themselves by simply posting photos. Apple is one example of an innovative marketer. Her WeChat posts serve primarily as part of her agenda to sell herself to genuinely rich men. She shows off her lavish lifestyle via hot selfies.

With the trailblazers of this industry embracing the digital age, how is the government going to curb the growth of this trade in the country while the buyers and sellers are all "undercover" characters? In the old days, the government could crack down brothels thanks to tips from the public, but in the case of the invincible trend that is social media, those involved in the sex trade are much harder to identify. More people will surely take advantage of the social media platform, posing a grave situation for government regulators.

Here, law enforcement is not looking at organized prostitution, but they are faced with determined individuals who enjoy the freedom of choosing their buyers.

This article was published on the Global Times Metropolitan section Two Cents page, a space for reader submissions, including opinion, humor and satire. The ideas expressed are those of the author alone, and do not represent the position of the Global Times.