China: High Risk — watch out for tea house & fake art student scam.
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High Risk: Tea house & fake art student scam. Friendly "students" near major attractions in Beijing and Shanghai invite tourists to a traditional tea ceremony or art exhibition, then present a bill for hundreds of dollars once you're seated. Politely decline unsolicited invitations from overly friendly strangers, however good their English.
China: High Risk — watch out for tea house & fake art student scam. Friendly "students" near major attractions in Beijing and Shanghai invite tourists to a traditional tea ceremony or art exhibition, then present a bill for hundreds of dollars once you're seated. Politely decline unsolicited invitations from overly friendly strangers, however good their English.
A well-documented, actively-run scam catches tourists here regularly — read the note above carefully so you know exactly what to watch for.
Agree on prices before getting into a taxi, be skeptical of unusually friendly strangers steering you somewhere specific, and never sign anything or accept food/drinks from someone you just met. The single biggest risk for this destination is noted above — general street-smarts cover the rest.
Not at all — millions of tourists visit safely every year. Knowing the one scam pattern that catches people most often is simply the best, cheapest defense there is, since it's designed specifically to look harmless until it's too late.
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