China/Shanghai

Common Tourist Scams in China

Know these common scam patterns so you can avoid them.

Shopping

Teahouse / Art Student Invitation Scam

A friendly local (often posing as a student practicing English or an art student) strikes up conversation near tourist spots like Wangfujing or Houhai and invites you to a nearby teahouse or art show. The bill — for tea you were never shown prices for, or grossly overpriced art — can run into the hundreds or thousands of yuan, with the venue and 'student' splitting the take.

How to avoid it: Politely decline invitations from strangers to a specific teahouse or gallery, however friendly; always ask to see a priced menu before ordering anything, and never let a new acquaintance choose the venue.

Shopping

Fake Antique / Jade Scam

Shops near major sights (Great Wall parking lots, market stalls) sell dyed glass or low-grade stone as 'genuine jade' or ancient antiques for ¥500-5,000, sometimes with a fabricated certificate of authenticity, and claims of health or spiritual benefits.

How to avoid it: Buy jade or antiques only from licensed dealers with proper documentation; treat any 'amazing deal' near a tourist site as a red flag, and don't be swayed by fabricated certificates.

Transportation

Rigged Meter / Counterfeit Bill Switch

Some unlicensed or rigged taxis run a tampered meter that racks up an inflated fare, or the driver claims your genuine ¥50/100 note is counterfeit and swaps it for an actual fake one while making change.

How to avoid it: Use official taxi ranks or a ride-hailing app (which shows the fare upfront) rather than street hails; insist the meter is on; watch your cash change hands and count it in front of the driver.

Currency Exchange

Unofficial Street Currency Exchange

Individuals near airports, train stations, or tourist sites offer to exchange foreign currency at unusually good rates, then hand over a stack of counterfeit or short-counted RMB notes.

How to avoid it: Exchange money only at a Bank of China branch, a licensed hotel counter, or an airport exchange desk — never with someone approaching you on the street, no matter how good the rate sounds.

Street

Fake Monk Donation Scam

People dressed as Buddhist monks approach tourists near temples or busy streets, hand over a small trinket or 'blessing' card, then pressure for a donation — sometimes showing a clipboard of inflated 'previous donations' (¥100-500) to set expectations. Genuine monks in China don't solicit money from strangers on the street.

How to avoid it: Politely decline any trinket handed to you unsolicited on the street, and don't feel obligated to donate just because a 'donation record' is shown to you; genuine temples collect donations inside, not via street approaches.

Shopping

Cheap Group Tour Forced-Shopping Scam

Suspiciously cheap day tours (e.g. a ¥100 'Great Wall trip with lunch and transport') make their real money from commission-based stops at jade factories, silk outlets, or tea/herbal-medicine centers, where guides apply heavy sales pressure and actual sightseeing time gets squeezed down to an hour or two.

How to avoid it: Book tours through a reputable agency or hotel concierge and check the itinerary for shopping stops upfront; be very wary of any day tour priced far below the cost of transport plus entry fees.