Scammers seem to thrive in areas full of tourists and travellers. The opportunities are endless for them that’s why we all need to be wary of the scams that exist in our desired destinations.
Good thing our hostel posted six scams that every tourists or travellers in Beijing need to know.
Read this post about a group of tourists who experienced the “Tea Scam” in Beijing via Global Osmosis
Do you know any other scams that targets tourists or travellers in Beijing?
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Traveled alone in Beijing and I was approached by a rickshaw driver outside the Forbidden City who wanted to take me to a hutong. I said I’m Filipina and I have no money. He pointed to my Nikon and said I was rich. haha. I just talked to them and joked with them a lot. They are friendly enough, you just have to learn when to say no.
haha nice tactic Aleah…
Thanks for this post. I have no plans of travelling to Beijing this year, but a friend of mine is planning to go there alone this November as a ‘resignation treat’ for herself LOL. Might as well send this link to her.
yeah… share this info to her
Thanks
Oh wow those are some crazy scams. Do they have these poster written all over the city??? I love that they are all written~
These are written and posted in the hostel that I stayed in…
That was nice of them to let you know the big scams. I had someone throw a bag of birdseed on my backpack in Bangkok. When I tried to give it back to him, he refused and told me to dump it out for the birds to eat. After I did that just so I could get rid of it, he demanded money. If something like that happens again, I’m just going to drop the bag on the ground and walk away.
oh wow, thanks for sharing steve, the only thing i experience was some guy telling me that the palace was close, even if it wasnt…
after the royal palace in BKK, we headed next block to check temple of dawn. tuktuk driver said its closed and offered me and my gf a tour to other temples for 20 baht using the driver’s tuktuk. my alarm clock ticked off. but still we jump on the offer.
half an hour later, we had already jumped from one bodega to another. the warehouse-like stores were selling jewelry and other overpriced knick-knacks. it was a nonsense tour around bkk. later on, i found out that it’s called the sleeping buddha-tuktuk scam!
thanks for sharing this. im sharing this to a friend who’ll be there in a week’s time
I was in Beijing with the Philippine delegation last year and we had similar encounters but what really was scary was when we were in Guilin City at nighttime. I was followed by 3 pickpockets who mistook a sachet of coffee which I placed at my backpocket (jeans) after drinking and tried to get it. When I looked at who was tugging my pants, I saw 2 older people and they are pickpockets. The shop owners just laugh when I showed them the sachet of coffee.
Sometimes I get tired of hearing Chinese language everyday so I go down to Wangfujiang or Tienamen just to get approached by the scam artists to speak to somebody in English ( I cant speak Chinese). Of course , right away I tell them I am from Canada and have been in Beijing only two days. I also have a camera with me. They are art students, and of course, I love art, or they ask if I like tea and I reply that I love tea. Off we go walking, conversing in English, much Bull…. from them and of course the same from me. Finally I tell them the thuth and that I know Beijing better than they do (I visit every year for a few months and live up near the end of Line 5). Sometimes I feel sorry for them. They are young, from the Provinces, no job (too dificult to get one with little education)