One of the worst things that can happen to anyone on a trip is probably getting scammed. China is one of the largest countries by land mass and population, and is no stranger to scams and schemes. You may encounter none of these on your trip or you may encounter some. This article’s purpose is not to instill fear in you or scare you. However, I believe the best way to avoid these unpleasant experiences is to become aware of them. Today I will equip you with the knowledge and tools to spot these common scams in China and how to get yourself out of a sticky situation.
NOTE: Scammers do not only target foreigners. Locals often fall for these traps and become victims as well. However, scammers generally assume people who look like foreigners are wealthy, and they prey on the fact that you may have difficulties communicating with local authorities.
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Important numbers to know in China:
POLICE: 110 AMBULANCE: 120 FIRE: 119
Scam #1. Where are you from?
If you find yourself in the presence of a Chinese girl(or guy) asking where you’re from or how long you’ve been in China. Be wary. After chatting for a while, you may be asked to help her ‘practice English’ or get invited to enjoy a meal with her in a ‘local restaurant’ or ‘tea house’ of her choosing.
Even if you’re eager to make new friends, best avoid and escape quickly just in case she has alternative intentions. If you follow through with this invitation, you may find yourself with a hefty bill at a sketchy restaurant or attending an impossibly expensive tea tasting.
In a previous China Travel Guide post, I recommended asking young students for help because they will likely speak some English. That scenario is entirely different from a suspicious girl or guy approaching YOU, asking to befriend and invite you to experience some “local culture”.
Scam #2. Black taxi scams at the airport/train stations
This happens in so many other countries as well. When you arrive in an airport or train station in China, you may find solicitors offering to take you to your hotel. Don’t go with them. Their prices are probably much more than what a regular taxi or didi app ride costs. If you want to grab a legitimate taxi, there’s always a queue line outside the arrival terminal just as you’d find in any other airports.
Some common things they may say to lure you into the scam: “Taxi! Cheap taxi!” or “There’s no taxi outside, come with me.”
Scam #3. Follow me to the alternative way
Scammers will target both foreigners and local tourists for this scam. Let’s say you’re waiting in a long line outside the Forbidden City and two dudes come up and say: ‘Hey you want to skip the line? Come with me I’ll take you the better way” don’t do it. Even if locals are starting to follow them, because they may be just as clueless as you are. OR some scammers will even go so far as to tell you a train/bus has stopped operating and in order to get to where you want to go, you must follow them for an alternative way. If possible, look for someone in an official uniform or a police officer and ask them for clarity.
Scam #4. Be Aware of pickpocketing
This one’s also pretty common worldwide, and this kind of scam in China is especially prevalent during the Chinese New Year. As places may be more crowded from people going shopping or taking transits to get back home to their family. Hold your belongings close and where you can see it at all times. These thieves may work solo or in groups. If someone gets too close or bumps into you, don’t be shy to nudge or push them back. Seriously, especially if you’re a solo female traveler, F politeness. Watch out and take care of yourself!
↓ Read my other China travel guides to help you prepare for your trip:
Essential Things to Know Before Visiting China
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15 Things NOT to Do When Visiting China
Scam #5. Fake beggars
This one actually makes me really sad. I have seen some pretty crazy injuries on beggars when I was a kid that to this day I still don’t know if it was real. When I was little and living in China, I had such sympathy for the elderly beggars on the streets and I would give them whatever coins I could find my my piggybank. Unfortunately, there are always people preying on your sympathy.
You’ll sure see a lot of beggars on the streets in China. Just politely decline, you can wave your hand in a no manner, or shake your head and keep walking. I still give money to people on the street but mainly street performers. You might see some extremely unfortunate looking beggars with no legs, or head injuries or malnourished looking kids. Even if it breaks your heart and you want to help, it’s just impossible to distinguish between real people in need vs. scammers who are incredibly good at their “job”.
✐ Editor’s Note:
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To understand more about why you need VPN when traveling to China:
Read ➠ How To Guide on Using VPN in China
Scam #6. Fake goods
If you walk into a random boutique store, meaning not an actual Nike store or Louis Vuitton or any other brand, don’t trust it. I have seen sooo many fake shoes and bags (done really well might I add) inside random shops. Everyone knows they’re fake, and some people don’t even care. In China, there’s even “tiers” for faked goods, varying levels of how closely it is made compared to the real one. I’ve seen fake stuff being almost as expensive as the real deal. I personally wouldn’t recommend it, and don’t try to buy a ton of fake stuff in China and bring it back with you through the customs in your home country. If you get caught in the airport with a bunch of counterfeit items, you won’t have a fun time explaining that one.
Scam #7. Incredibly inflated prices
I talked about this already in my Essential China Travel Tips post, but I wanted to go a little bit more in depth. This is probably the “scam” that everyone will encounter. In fact, bargaining is such a regular sport in China, that it isn’t even considered a scam but rather the norm.
When you go into shops with unmarked prices, even if you see unofficial or officially marked prices. Be wary and bargain. The only places where you can’t bargain are the established stores like giant department stores, or official brand flagship stores you recognize from overseas.
As I mentioned before, shop keepers will always give a price that’s higher than the actual one. They do this to locals but tend to go more overboard with tourists and foreigners. If you can, hang back and watch the kind of prices they give to locals and how they haggle. It’s difficult to know how much to bargain down when you have no clue what’s a fair price.
Don’t get fussy over a couple of dollars, but if an item is actually expensive or seems crazy overpriced, don’t be shy to cut down hard. Bargaining is expected in China. You won’t ever drive a shop to closure even if they tell you so, because if they don’t make a profit they won’t sell it to you.
Scam #8. Cheap or poor quality tours
If you don’t speak Chinese, first try to find an English speaking tour. I always try to build a good rapport with the front desk of any hotels or accommodations I’m staying at to ask for locals’ advice and tips. If you’re staying at a legitimate hotel, they most likely won’t offer you shady tours to avoid risking their own reputation in the future. You can also ask them to check out the Chinese apps for tours, this way they can read other locals’ and tourists’ reviews to help you book a high quality one.
Don’t EVER take tour offers from a random person on the street or in popular tourist destinations. Always do your research and ask locals that you’ve built a good rapport with.
Scam #9. Getting change back + counterfeit bills
Always get your cash from a bank’s official ATM and official money exchange offices. Get familiar with what the bills look and feel like. Some cash scams may include: Merchants accusing you of giving them a fake bill when they are the ones that swapped yours for a fake. In this instance, threaten to call the police, and if they continue to insist – dial 110. They will most likely have tried to do this before and hopefully the local police are aware of it.
Another one is to give you the incorrect change back, so be sure to count and check your change. Lastly, a merchant or taxi driver may claim they don’t have enough change to give back to you. To avoid this, try carrying smaller bills with you. If it’s a shop merchant or restaurant, they can always ask their neighbors for change, so don’t fall for that trick and leave without your change.
Scam #10. Fake monks asking for donation
This one is also incredibly sad to me. These scammers take advantage of people’s good heart or spiritual beliefs for profit. Apparently these fake monks may try to hand you a prayer bead necklace/bracelet or show you a ledger of donations made by people from all over the world in different languages to prove their credibility. Don’t accept their “gift”, politely decline and briskly walk away. I honestly cannot imagine a legitimate monk chasing after someone after initially rejecting them.
If you want to actually make a donation or small contribution. I have seen donation booths/boxes in actual temples. If you happen to visit one, which you should by the way. It’s such an interesting experience and the different buddha statues are incredible to see. You can make a donation into one of the official boxes.
BONUS: #11. Fun time or fake temptation?
This one is for all the dudes out there. If someone is offering you massage, sex or a lady, just say no. What you may think of as an opportunity for some good time could turn into a potentially dangerous situation. Do you want to take the risk of getting robbed or hurt, or even worse? Keep it together and keep on walking. Be wary of dating apps too. Although this one may apply more to locals. But if you’re staying in China long term and decide to download a dating app, just take precautions and don’t trust everything you see online.
Getting a Visa for China
You can actually handle the visa process yourself. It does get a little bit complicated depending on which country you’re from. The requirements include things like the general application, the entire trip’s accommodation bookings, invitation letter (if applicable), and more. You have to bring all the required documents to your local Chinese Embassy along with your passport, and they will issue you a visa inside your passport.
If this sounds a little too complicated, iVisa is a highly reviewed and trusted company that takes care of all your visa needs specific to your country of origin.
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