Common Tourist Scams in Taiwan

Know these common scam patterns so you can avoid them.

Transportation

Taxi meter refusal, especially at night or from the airport

A minority of taxi drivers — especially at night, from the airport, or outside Taipei — refuse to turn on the meter and instead quote an inflated flat fare, sometimes citing traffic or taking a deliberate detour.

How to avoid it: Insist on the meter before getting in, or get out and find another taxi if the driver refuses — metered taxis are the norm across Taiwan's cities. Ride-hailing apps with an upfront fixed price are a reliable fallback, especially late at night.

Other

Fake monks and forceful street donation requests

In busy areas like Ximending or near major temples, individuals dressed as monks or claiming to represent a temple/charity approach tourists for donations, sometimes pressuring for larger amounts or making a scene if refused.

How to avoid it: Politely decline and walk away — legitimate temples and charities in Taiwan don't solicit cash donations from tourists on the street. If you want to donate to a real temple, do it directly at its own donation box inside.

Shopping

Fake or mislabeled high-mountain tea

Some sellers, especially in informal shops or via street approaches, pass off cheap low-grade tea (sometimes imported) as premium Taiwanese high-mountain oolong (gao shan cha), charging premium prices for it.

How to avoid it: Buy tea only from established, reputable tea shops or tea-growing-region cooperatives, not from anyone who approaches you on the street inviting you to a 'tea ceremony.' Ask for the specific growing region and be skeptical of steep 'discounts' on premium-labeled tea.

Street

Night market overcharging on unpriced items

A minority of stalls at busy night markets don't display prices on certain items (especially seafood sold by weight or novelty snacks), then charge tourists significantly more than what locals pay once the item is already in hand.

How to avoid it: Always ask the price before touching or picking up an item, especially anything sold by weight — once it's in your hands, some vendors treat that as an agreement to buy at whatever price they name.

Restaurants

Undisclosed 'cooking fee' or per-dish surcharge

A minority of restaurants, especially in touristy waterfront areas, add an undisclosed per-dish 'cooking' or 'preparation' fee to the bill, resulting in a total noticeably higher than the menu prices suggested.

How to avoid it: Ask upfront whether any per-dish or per-person surcharge applies before ordering, and check the itemized bill carefully before paying — this is far more common at restaurants explicitly aimed at tour groups than at everyday neighborhood eateries.