What are the most common tourist scams in China and how can you avoid them? As a tourist in China – or any foreign country – there’s almost no way around it: you’re at high risk to run into tourist scams. You’ve got a big, fat target on your back that says “I have money!”. Scam artists, beggars and sometimes even the “average Zhou” see you as a gullible visitor with plenty of money. So what can you do?
Nothing dampens a travel experience faster than getting scammed or robbed. It tends to ruin the rest of your trip and leave a cloud over the travel memory.
Thankfully, if you’re properly prepared, it’s fairly easy to dodge these common scams whether you’re traveling solo or joining a reputable China travel agency.
Don’t worry, they’re not overly sophisticated.
Below I want to share with you 5 types of tourist scams in China that I’ve experienced first hand during my 10 years of travel as well as heard from other travelers. These include:
The more you know, the easier it will be to avoid falling prey to these scams.
The most frustrating scams in China I’ve run across are the money scams.
As a first-time visitor to China, how are you supposed to be able to tell the difference between a real bank note and a counterfeit?
Thankfully this scam is becoming more rare as penalties for counterfeit money in China are high and very stiff.
Still, it’s good to be aware.
The Chinese counterfeit money scam plays out in one of two primary ways:
This is actually a pretty easy scam to avoid if you’re careful, and it doesn’t even require you learning what real Chinese money looks/feels like (although it’s not a bad idea to learn how to spot fake Chinese currency).
There are three things you should do:
I landed at a major airport here in China earlier this year and had about a 10 minute debate with a taxi driver about the cost of the taxi.
He wanted a flat rate (which was way too high) and I wanted him to use the meter.
Eventually I won, mostly because I live here and know exactly how much things should cost. But the headache of negotiating my taxi was still terrible!
You can expect the same to happen to you at some point.
I categorize Chinese transportation scams into three different types:
Transportation scams in China are pretty easy to avoid as long as you’re willing to do the uncomfortable: negotiate all the details before you begin your ride.
This includes not only pricing but also exactly where you’re going and if there will be any stops along the way. (read here for tips on taking a taxi in China)
Also…be willing to stand your ground!
I know it’s easier for me to say that as a man, but Chinese women are known to be feisty and causing a scene can sometimes help a situation.
I once embarrassed a taxi driver by asking his colleagues if he was actually from around here or if he was just ignorant of the law. He wasn’t happy with me, but I got a fair price and arrived where I needed to be.
Finally, there’s one thing you can do, especially with legal taxis, that works almost every time.
If they begin trying to scam you or take advantage of you, take a picture of their registration (which should be visibly displayed on the dashboard) as well as their license plate. Tell the driver that you will report them to the authorities if they continue their scamming ways.
Almost 90% of the time this has worked for me.
The Chinese beggar on the street isn’t always a scam but it still makes me a bit unhappy.
It irks me mostly because I know there are legitimately needy people all over China. This is a common scam all across China. Sadly, my general rule, especially in tourist areas, is to never give money to beggars.
Not all beggars deserve this though, so perhaps I should clarify:
The Chinese monk picture above is legit, but don’t be fooled just because somebody wears an orange robe!
The Chinese Tea House scam is a well-documented scam that continues mostly because it still works.
The scammer is usually college age students or a beautiful young lady and the target is most often a solo male. You’re going to find this scam mostly in the tourist areas of larger cities like Beijing or Shanghai.
The gist of the scam is that a Chinese person will come up to you and begin very innocent conversation. After trust has been established they will ask if you want to join them and their friends for tea (“I know this great place you’ll love! Very traditional Chinese tea!”) or to come view their traditional artwork.
With the tea house scam you arrive to sample some tea and your new friend suddenly disappears, leaving you to pay for the overpriced tea (the Chinese person got a commission for bringing you there).
With the Art School Scam, they use the trust they’ve created with you to guilt you into buying cheap art for inflated prices.
You justify it by saying to yourself “The art isn’t bad and now I’ll have a story of how I met the painter!” but the fact is it’s probably mass-produced, cheap art and you’re getting ripped-off.
The very best way to avoid these types of tourist scams in China is to be wary of any person who initiates contact with you.
Chinese people are generally very introverted people and such genuine contact isn’t normal. I’m not saying to avoid the locals, just be on guard if an overly-friendly person approaches you.
Here are three simple tips to keep you safe from this scam:
Finally, I’m going to mention the price gouging scams in China even though most of it’s already been covered in the scams above.
Price gouging is where you are quoted at an outrageous price just because you have a foreign face.
While not technically a “scam”, I put that in quotation marks just because it’s more common practice here in China than anything else.
As you’ll find when you start shopping in China, most items aren’t individually priced, leaving you to ask how much everything costs.
Because haggling is part of business here, shop owners are used to pricing high with the understanding that they’ll discount. This mentality kicks into overdrive when they see a foreign face, often quoting 5-10x’s the usual cost.
Price gouging happens when hiring cars, shopping at the market and especially once you’re in a tourist zone. (read this for more on how to haggle in China)
You need to expect to pay higher than locals in many cases, so don’t sweat a couple dollars. What’s hard is when they’re exponentially raising your price.
The best way to avoid this is to know beforehand how much something should cost. Watch a local buy it. Better yet, ask a local how much they would pay for it.
Finally, be prepared to haggle for most anything that doesn’t have a price tag on it, even if that’s uncomfortable for you.
That covers the 5 most common scams here in China, but there are certainly others I’m not aware of.
My hope is that you will never have to experience these scams…
…but it’s good to be prepared anyway!
As you prepare for your trip to China, I suggest you also grab a copy of the China Travel Handbook I wrote!
It covers all of the things you need to know before you land in China so that you can be prepared!
I recognize that this isn’t a comprehensive list of scams in China, though. If you’ve run across a scam not listed here please let me know in the comments below!
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Nice post! it is important to make people aware of the scams before they travel to China. A warning can go a long way in avoiding some issues while travelling in China.
I've had one scam similar to the artwork scam. We were trying to find the entrance to the forbidden city when a Chinese guy came up to us. His English was very good and he was really friendly (red flag number one). He told us we should go with him and he would bring us to the entrance of the forbidden city. I immediately told my parents that this was a bit strange and I didn't really trust him. Indeed, the guy did not bring us to the entrance of the forbidden city, but to his art gallery. We realised immediately this was a scam and we left.
I also run into the tea scam multiple times while living in Shanghai. I heard about it beforehand, so I never actually got scammed. My advice would be to be careful around Chinese people that come up to you in touristic places and speak really good English.
Exactly. You've hit the nail on the head here - friendly locals, speaking really good English, approaching you in a generally touristy area is a recipe for disaster!
HI, the first time my company sent me to GZ to teach, I nearly got caught in a begger scam. Fortunately I had students with me when the guy hobbled up and stood in my personal space (not a real thing in China). He shoved a red envelope in my face, one of my quck thinking students slapped the envelope to the ground and then grabbed my arm and pulled me after her into the crowded subway, while he (now able to run) followed us. We got on a train and got of at the next station, then caught another back to where we were. Beware the red envelope. I didn't understand much Chinese at that time and the girls said he was demanding 100rmb so I could take his photo (i didn't take any photos).
Thanks for sharing - hopefully others can learn and not fall for the scams!
Question: is the police not doing anything about their citizens scamming the tourists? why not? and what about the coming-up socialcheck related to the scammers? Thanks
Police usually aren't concerned with such relatively minor offenses. If they see a pickpocket they'll do something about it, sure...but they're probably not going to get in the middle of a "He did this!" followed by a "No, I didn't!" arbitration.
I've read your post and it just seems you got a couple of hours of "fun and laughter" plus translator services and a tea ceremony that you described as "amazing". Barely a scam innit?
is there any uber or lift service in beijing_ __??
There's a service called DiDi Chuxing. Check it out.
Just got scammed today in shanghai. Met a nice girl who took me to a bar, resulting in 2000 RMb for a couple of shots. I also took a picture of her but just after I paid. I don't know what i should do.
If someone knows if it's possible to go to the police or something please help.
So sorry to hear that, Dean. I would tell the police in the nearby district, but chances are there's not much you can do, unfortunately.
I just suffered the tea house one. Teo students girls approched me in shanghai and invited me to go for tea with them... I paíd 400...
I was scammed yesterday bY a chinese guy in the airport who persistently Wanted to sell me an iphone xs max while i was in line to check in. He Showed me the apple receipt, box and all. It was legit. I paid him 1900 rmb. Boarding time was 3pm and i was in a hurry. By the time i got on the plane, i checked the phone he swiTched it to a fake one. I got a picture of hIs passport and i want to report him so he cant victimized anyone anymore
Good luck reporting him. The #1 rule for sniffing out any scam like this is to remember this: if it's too good to be true (an iPhone XS for 1900 RMB???), then it probably is.
Very informative post! It can be difficult for first time visitors to china to determine what might be a scam and what is authentic. I know it was a challenge i faced when i was in china for the first time. i was approached at least a dozen times when i was in beijing from people wanting to go for tea and practice their english. it is a shame that a few people are engaging in scams and making travellers weary of being scammed. Such a shame because china is an amazing country.