CHILLING threats were posted on internet chat sites against the Chinese man found murdered in his flat, The Journal can reveal.

A three-day investigation by Journal reporters has revealed Zhen Xing Yang was linked with gambling and fake document scams.

And it has uncovered widespread anger among Chinese people living in Britain caught up in the apparent cons.

Among the hundreds of comments about the murdered man on Chinese chat sites include threats to track him down in Newcastle and warnings for him to “watch out”.

The Journal employed a Mandarin translator to help decipher the discussions on the forums. All of our findings have now been passed to Northumbria Police.

Det Supt Steve Wade, leading the investigation, said last night: “I would like to thank The Journal for its involvement in this aspect of the investigation.

“It shows how the whole of Newcastle has come together in abhorrence at these murders.”

Internet users identified Mr Yang, whose internet identity is lanyang0201, as a recruiting agent for an international gambling scam.

It involves Chinese people phoning football updates from Premiership matches to beat the bookies in China.

But more allegations suggested he was failing to pay those he employed to carry out the work.

One posted threats against the 25-year-old, warning: “I’m sure I can find them, wait there I will find you. We’ll see who’s the bad guy.”

Postings converted into English by the translator last night revealed the Newcastle University graduate was branded a “liar” and a “cheat”.

The Journal can also exclusively reveal how Mr Yang said he could provide young Chinese students with fake UK degree certificates to take home.

He is also said to have issued fake international driving licences and sold expensive toiletries for cut-price rates, which then failed to materialise.

Internet postings revealed he began to offer tutorials for economics students in 2005, priced at £20 per hour, via a Chinese students’ website. He also offered rooms to let at a student house in Heaton Road.

Police so far have no motive for the attack, which shocked both residents living close to the scene and the Chinese community.

Mr Yang and his girlfriend Xi Zhou, who posted on internet forums using her nickname of Ci Ci, were discovered by a friend at their ground floor flat in Croydon Road, Fenham, on Saturday afternoon.

They were found in bed in separate rooms of the flat. Miss Zhou had been beaten and suffocated, while Mr Yang, who was still wearing his night clothes, suffered massive head injuries.

Police think Mr Yang, also known as Kevin, could have been tortured for up to an hour before he was killed.

Miss Zhou was dressed in her Wagamama restaurant uniform.

The last time she was spotted alive was after leaving work at the oriental restaurant in Eldon Square, Newcastle, on Thursday night.

The couple met while studying for masters degrees at Newcastle University and graduated in 2006. Both had been issued with UK visas, which were due to expire later this year. Detectives are yet to establish how Mr Yang earned money, although it was thought he had been financed by his family back in China.

Under his username lanyang0201, the digits of which match his date of birth, he asked for football assistants to go to a stadium to watch football matches and report via mobile phone.

Recruits were sent to matches as far away as the USA and were paid $120, including the price of the game.

According to adverts and postings on the internet, it appears that the agency Mr Yang was working for had assistants throughout the world.

But many on the forums complain of not being paid for their work. And it is alleged that 5,000 euros was stolen from him by a middleman. In messages posted on the networking site, one user who had not been paid for travelling to matches, threatened to come to Newcastle, but Mr Yang said he had gone back to China, so there was no need to “look for him”.

The user said: “You said everybody got paid, you continued to lie. I have received lots of private messages about you.

“Some people didn’t reply directly because they didn’t want to bring trouble on themselves.

“I’m not afraid of anything. I say what I should say.”

Messages were also uploaded saying that an account registered to his girlfriend, cici_uk, failed to provide bottles of perfume, face creams and female toiletries, although it is not clear whether she was involved directly.

When news about their horrific deaths was posted on the website, messages of shock began to appear.

One read: “However much they were hated, they shouldn’t die in this way,” and “They were killed by somebody who hates them. It’s a little bit too much to kill someone, how could somebody get so angry.”

Det Supt Wade said last night: “A possible motive for the killing is beginning to emerge concerning the lifestyle of Xi Zhou and Zhen Xing Yang.

“Community intelligence supported by the examination of computer equipment and mobile call data has shown that both of the victims have been involved in fraudulent activity which has angered and upset a number of people.

“We are currently investigating this as a possible motive for the killings.”