Here’s another classic from the old iaminchina.com:

Beijing could be a capital of all sorts of scams: scenic cab rides from the airport, fake ATMs and fake money, fake companies and online businesses and even fake eggs and baozi. But today I’d like to write about the so-called teahouse/ art gallery / tour guide scams.

The reason I’ve decided to write about it now is that more and more of the scammers have been popping up recently. And while I believe that if you get scammed, it’s all your fault for being so naive and trusting in a foreign country, but I can’t take it anymore either. I never get into any conversations with them, call me skeptical, but still whenever I go to a mall alone I get stalked by at least one. So who are they and what do they do?

There are three main variations of the scam as well as many spin-offs employed all over China, not only in Beijing.

1. The Teahouse Scam

The Scammers: Usually college age girls, wearing casual clothes, with pretty good English language skills.

The Approach: “Hi, where are you from?” , “That’s a nice country …blah blah blah”, “Can you help me practice English?” “Let’s go have some tea while we chat, I know a place”

The Take: At the “Tea House” you get to drink some tea (you don’t get to see the menu, since the girls recommend which tea to drink) and watch the “traditional Chinese tea drinking ritual”. In the end you get presented with a bill which is usually around 1000RMB (~150USD) or more. With a lot of arguing and yelling you can get away with paying less than the actual bill (a major sign of a scam), but your whole China experience could be ruined.

2. The Art Gallery Scam

The Scammers: Once again college age girls or guys, posing as art students, exceptional English skills.

The Approach: “Hi, where are you from?”, “Have you traveled around China much?”, “I’m an art student and my professor is having an Art exhibition today.”, “The Gallery is just around the corner and if you come with me I can get you in for free!”

The Take: You end up at some crappy studio, with mediocre paintings at best. While you’re looking at the paintings the high pressure sales pitch begins (think timeshare sales or any pyramid scheme agents). They try to sell you the paintings for more than 200USD, but even if you bargain it down to 20USD, you’re still getting ripped off. In fact they don’t want to let you go until you buy at least a couple of those hideously overpriced “art pieces”.

3. The Tour Guide Scam

The Scammers: Practically any Chinese person at a major tourist location, from young hot girls to old but wise men.

The Approach: “Cheap (or sometimes free) tour guide, I’ll show you the places most tourist don’t know of.”

The Take: After a brief “tour” of whatever tourist destination you get lured into:

a) A Teahouse or a restaurant that the guide sincerely recommends since it’s a “unique Chinese experience”,

b) An Art Gallery or a souvenir shop of sorts with astronomical prices and skilled salespeople.

c) The two of the above.

Like I said there are many variations of the mentioned scams, some done more “professionally” while some have “scam” written all over it. Don’t fall for their fake kindness and compliments. Just say “No“, no matter how sad they pretend to be when you reject them. Remember, you live in the real world, if you’re a 40-year-old something and and a 20-year-old girl seems interested in you, it’s not because you’re a handsome foreigner, it’s because she wants something from you!

And while there are millions of nice and friendly people in China, chances are that the person, who stops you at WangFuJing or TianAnMen Square, is not one of them. So enjoy your China experience and use your head (no not the smaller one) , but if you get scammed, let us know.