Get the right help, without the guesswork.

Comment ça marche : A friendly, English-speaking young "student" strikes up conversation on a tourist street, wanting to practice English or invite you to a "traditional" tea ceremony or art exhibition. They lead you to a hidden tea house or bar, order an expensive tasting flight, and present a forced bill for several thousand RMB (often 2,000–10,000 RMB), sometimes with someone blocking the door.

Comment l'éviter : Politely decline unsolicited invitations from strangers who approach YOU on the street — genuine locals rarely do this. If you want a real tea ceremony, book one independently through your hotel.

Si vous êtes ciblé : Demand an itemized receipt, don't hand over your card, and say "call the police" (报警 bàojǐng) or dial 110 visibly — operators often back down once police are mentioned. Chinese police take this scam seriously and frequently force refunds.

Comment ça marche : Someone in the arrival hall (sometimes dressed to look official) asks "Taxi? Where you go?", bypassing the official taxi queue and leading you to an unmarked private car that charges 3–5x the meter rate, or won't open the trunk until you pay extra.

Comment l'éviter : Always follow the official "Taxi Queue" (出租车) signage, or order a car through Didi inside Alipay/WeChat before you even reach the exit. Never follow anyone who approaches you first.

Si vous êtes ciblé : Refuse to get in. If you're already inside and being overcharged, photograph the license plate and refuse to pay in cash before calling 110.

Comment ça marche : Someone in robes approaches, presses a "blessed" charm or bracelet into your hand, then demands a "donation" — often insisting on a specific, inflated amount once you're holding it.

Comment l'éviter : Genuine monks don't solicit donations from tourists on the street. Don't accept anything handed to you; if something is pressed into your hand, put it down and walk away without engaging.

Si vous êtes ciblé : You're not obligated to pay for anything you didn't ask for. Say "不要" (bù yào — "don't want") firmly and keep moving; if someone becomes aggressive, head toward a shop or security guard.

Comment ça marche : A driver quotes a cheap price (e.g. ¥20–50) for a ride or "hutong tour," then afterward claims the price was per-minute or per-person, demanding several times more — sometimes stopping in a quiet spot to pressure you.

Comment l'éviter : Agree on the TOTAL price in writing (or typed in a translation app) before getting in, or skip rickshaws entirely and explore on foot or by rental bike.

Si vous êtes ciblé : Leave the originally agreed cash on the seat and calmly walk away rather than arguing. If blocked or threatened, call 110.

Comment ça marche : People dressed to resemble transit staff direct you to an unofficial coach advertised as a "special" or "VIP" shuttle. It charges inflated fares, adds unscheduled shopping stops at jade/silk/cloisonné shops, and may drop you at a lesser section of the site than advertised.

Comment l'éviter : Use the official public bus (e.g. Bus 877 from Deshengmen for Badaling) or book tickets through an authorized platform. Ignore anyone who approaches you before you reach the official ticket counter.

Si vous êtes ciblé : If already on a shopping-detour tour, you're not obligated to buy anything — decline firmly and repeatedly; report the operator via 12301 afterward.

Comment ça marche : A stranger asks you to scan a QR code for a "survey," a "free gift," or "Wi-Fi access." The code opens a phishing page or an unauthorized payment request.

Comment l'éviter : Never scan a QR code handed to you by a stranger. Only scan codes at legitimate businesses when you're actually paying for something you chose.

Si vous êtes ciblé : If you scanned something suspicious and entered payment info, immediately open Alipay/WeChat Pay security settings to check for unauthorized transactions, and call 96110.

Comment ça marche : When you pay with a 100 RMB note, the vendor swaps it under the counter for a fake bill and claims your note was counterfeit — you lose the real note and get handed a fake one back.

Comment l'éviter : Pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay QR codes wherever possible; digital payment is fully immune to this scam and is now the overwhelming norm in China anyway.

Si vous êtes ciblé : If you must pay cash, examine notes closely before handing them over and count change in front of the vendor.