Common Tourist Scams in China and How to Avoid Them

Most days in China are ordinary: you book a ride, buy a ticket, pay for lunch, and move on. The useful safety habit is not suspicion of everyone. It is a short pause before you pay, scan, hand over your passport, or agree to go somewhere with a stranger.

The patterns below are worth recognizing because they often rely on urgency, friendliness, or an offer that looks unusually cheap.

The tea house, bar, massage, or “friendly local” bill

Someone starts a conversation in a tourist area and suggests tea tasting, a bar, a gallery, a massage, or English practice. The place later produces a very large bill, sometimes with pressure to pay immediately.

The cleanest response is early and simple: decline the invitation and keep walking. Do not follow someone to a second location because they are charming, speak your language, or say a booking is free. If you do enter any venue, ask to see a menu with prices before ordering and keep the bill and payment record.

Unmarked taxis and airport solicitation

At airports, stations, and major attractions, ignore offers of a “special taxi,” a fixed-price car, or a driver who says the official queue is closed. Use the marked taxi rank, your hotel transfer, metro, or a recognised ride-hailing platform. Before getting in, match the vehicle and plate to the app; during the ride, keep the route visible and ask for a receipt.

The point is not that every driver outside a terminal is dishonest. It is that an app record, meter, plate, and receipt make a disagreement much easier to resolve.

QR-code tricks

QR codes are normal in China, which makes a replacement code easy to miss. Before you pay, check the merchant name and amount shown by the payment app. Do not scan a code sent by an unsolicited account, pasted over a menu, or offered as a shortcut to a prize, refund, or “account verification.”

Never give a stranger your phone to “fix” a payment. If a payment fails, close the app, reconnect, and try again yourself; otherwise use a card or cash where accepted. Take a screenshot of any successful payment and keep it until the purchase is settled.

Fake entry-card and visa websites

An official-looking page may charge for a form that is free, promise to approve entry, or ask for excessive passport and card data. For the NIA online arrival card, start from the official service only: China Online Arrival Card. It is free, and a paper card remains available at ports if needed.

The same rule applies to visas, attraction bookings, tax refunds, and transport: begin from the operator, attraction, official government page, or a verified in-app service. Treat sponsored search results as advertisements, not proof of authority.

“Too cheap” day tours and compulsory shopping

A low advertised price can turn into a shopping stop, a request for extra cash, or pressure to buy from a particular store. Before paying a deposit, ask for the itinerary, what is included, the cancellation rule, the operator's name, and whether shopping stops are compulsory. Pay by a method that leaves a record.

China's authorities have recently targeted illegal tourism practices including forced shopping and low-price tours with hidden additional payments. That is useful context, but it does not replace your own recordkeeping.

Fake tickets and unofficial reservations

At popular attractions, a reseller may offer a ticket after official slots sell out. The ticket can be invalid, tied to someone else's ID, or priced far above face value. Book through the attraction's official website, official account, official Mini Program, or an established platform expressly linked by the attraction. Check whether the ticket is tied to your passport before you pay.

If an official slot is gone, change the time or plan rather than buying a screenshot from a stranger. Read How to Book Attractions in China as a Foreigner for a safer booking workflow.

If you think you have been scammed

1. Move somewhere safe; do not turn a payment dispute into a physical confrontation.
2. Save screenshots, receipts, QR/payment records, the business name, address, vehicle plate, and chat history.
3. Ask the hotel, attraction, or payment platform for help if the transaction happened through them.
4. For threats, theft, or an immediate safety issue, call police on 110.
5. Contact your bank or card issuer promptly if card details may be exposed.
6. Tell your insurer and embassy or consulate if the loss is serious or documents are involved.

Evidence is more useful than a perfect explanation. A photo of the storefront, a payment time, and the plate number can make the next conversation much easier.

Sources and further reading

• UK Government, China safety guidance on tea/massage scams, QR phishing, taxis, and preserving safety: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/china/safety-and-security
• National Immigration Administration, official online arrival-card warning: https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/c191530/content.html
• National Immigration Administration, official arrival-card service: https://s.nia.gov.cn/ArrivalCardFillingPC/
• State Council portal, campaign against forced shopping and illegal low-price tours: https://english.www.gov.cn/english.www.gov.cn/news/202507/10/content_WS686f1955c6d0868f4e8f40a6.html
• UK Government, China emergency contacts: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/china/getting-help

Last reviewed: 24 July 2026.