Scams in Beijing

This is quite rare. Someone will approach you to enquire about your day’s sightseeing. Once you tell them where you’re going they will say they’re going with you. Often they will mention they work for a travel agency but they will never say they expect to be paid for going with you. That will come when you finally part ways, at which point they will request a ridiculous amount for their ‘guiding service’.

You’ll be approached by people on the street, usually young girls who often claim to be students. After chatting with you for a while they will suggest going to a teahouse they know of. Long story short, you will be misled about the price and after drinking the tea you will be hit for a massive bill.

Say you don’t drink tea and suggest going to a cafe you know of instead (Starbucks is everywhere). If they insist on a certain place, walk away.

This is a variation on the Turkish carpet salesman trick. You’ll be approached by people on the street who often claim to be students. Soon they will tell you about their art exhibition and ask if you want to see their paintings. Once inside the ‘gallery’ you will be ‘pressured’ into purchasing overpriced art.

This one shouldn’t even need to be pointed out as a scam. If you fall for this, you shouldn’t have left your own country. Anyway, at night you will often be approached by men or women saying ‘lady bar’ with the promise of a strip club or prostitution. If you go with these people you will be taken somewhere without any women but instead several imposing men who will extort you for every cent you have. Prostitution is illegal in China so there is nothing you can do.

Ignore these people. If you’re in the mood, it can be fun to toy with them a bit. If it’s a man who approaches you, tell them you don’t like ladies but prefer men, Chinese men in particular. But never, ever go anywhere with them. If you want to find a prostitute in China, go to one of the established pick-up bars (you can find a few in our nightlife listings) or get a recommendation for a brothel (usually ‘disguised’ as hairdressers) from someone you trust. Note: Human trafficking might not be as big a problem in China as it is in south-east Asia, but some reports say that it does happen. Be sure to consider this before deciding to engage in paid sex.

On your way from the airport, the taxi driver might tell you (or he might phone someone who will tell you) that the accommodation you are going to has closed or even burnt down and that you should go to a different place (which they, of course, are connected with). Touts at the bus or train station will often tell you the same thing.

Simple – call their bluff. Let them tell you the story and then say, “That’s strange. I just phoned the hotel an hour ago and they didn’t mention that it had burnt down yesterday.” If they persist, then tell them to stop and flag down a different taxi.

There have been a few reports of this happening near the Forbidden City in Beijing. Basically you are offered a short ride to a nearby attraction (like the Forbidden City) for a small sum – for example, ¥3. Then you will be taken to a quiet alley and the driver will tell you that he actually meant ¥300. The reports say that the driver becomes physically aggressive when you refuse to pay, so it’s more like a robbery than a scam.

Rickshaws in Beijing operate purely for tourists – they are not a form of transportation for locals. If you want to take one, find one in an area where they are common (around Houhai is a popular spot). Beware also of very low prices. Anything below ¥10 is unrealistic. If you do get caught up in the scam, try to stand your ground: shouting, showing you are not intimidated and even becoming aggressive yourself (within reason) should make them back down. Alternatively, run.

When arriving at the airport, keep away from the taxi drivers who approach you in the terminal or outside the terminal as they will charge you much more than the actual price. Just follow the sign pointing to the taxi line just outside the terminal. Taxi drivers should use their meter; make sure that the driver puts down the flag. Taking a taxi from the airport to downtown Beijing costs just over RMB 100 plus a RMB 5 toll fee. A legitimate Beijing taxi license plates will begin with the “Beijing B”, otherwise it is possibly a black taxi!

After paying a legal taxi, you will get a legal computerized receipt in which you can find the taxi company’s phone number while a black driver only offers you a hand-written receipt with which you will never find him! A black driver would charge you RMB 400 – RMB 500 for the airport downtown drive! Normally a taxi ride from the airport to the downtown of Beijing costs you around RMB 120.

Black cars could be found around the subway stations, shopping malls, and also around some major tourist attractions such as the Summer Palace, Forbidden City and Wangfujing Street and Beijing Railway Station as well. It seems that there is a new kind of scam in Beijing when it comes down to the taxis. Taxi drivers are asking their passengers to get out of the car and help to push it / close the trunk. When the passengers are outside, the drivers take off with all of their belongings.

Carrying around cash is a necessity in Beijing. Some shops don’t accept credit cards and using foreign credit cards can result in frightening fees. Certain pickpockets zero in on tourists and their fanny packs, sometimes working in teams to snatch cash. When in town, and busy places especially, keep an extra eye on your wallet and purse, and if in a group keep an eye on one another's backs. 

Carefully inspect any change, especially Y50 and Y100 bills. Does the note feel thin or slippery? Does the watermark look kosher? If it feels or looks wrong, don’t be shy about rejecting it (a common practice in Beijing). If necessary, cancel the transaction and demand your money back.

If you’re getting cash from an ATM or changing money at a bank (i.e. not a money-changer), you won’t have to worry about getting counterfeit bills (usually Y100 notes). But instead, you should watch out for the old Bait-and-Switch. For example, you pay with your (real) Y100 and they secretly replace it with a fake note, claiming that you gave them the bogus note. Then, they’ll give you the fake one and ask for another one. They just made a tidy Y200 profit! Always keep an eye on your bill when paying and watch for the swap. If someone tries to pull this on you, make a big, loud scene (to attract a curious crowd, and hopefully police).