Travelling solo in Shanghai will be one of the most stressful experiences of your entire life.
The supposed businessman who has lost his wallet and briefcase and needs money to catch a taxi to his hotel, the young art students who want to excitedly show you their original paintings in a nearby exhibition, the beautiful girls who try to get you to play karaoke with them for the small price of £500…
And then we have the Shanghai Tea Scam.
After spending seven hours walking around Shanghai and finding nothing but perverted old men who wanted to grope me while I wasn’t looking, I was pleased to run into two friendly Chinese girls who were around the same age as me.They started by excitedly asking to have their photo taken with me, something which I had got used to very quickly since arriving in China.
Whilst I like to believe that they are actually adoring fans of my site, the sad reality is that Chinese people seem to like collecting photos of themselves with small white girls who look like they’ve shoved their fingers into a light socket.
With nothing better to do and upon discovering that the two girls were very funny and had close to perfect English, we stood talking for over half an hour before deciding to part. As I said goodbye and started to walk off one of them quickly gasped and ran after me to tell me that they were actually just heading off to a traditional tea ceremony, and that I was free to accompany them if I wanted.
As spending another seven hours getting lost sounded about as appealing as piss flavoured lollipop, I excitedly agreed to go with them.
After a long walk during which the girls led me through a series of dimly lit, small alleyways, we finally arrived at our destination.
It was a nondescript building, which had no identifying sign out and held no indication that it housed any kind of tea ceremonies. I dismissed my growing sense of malaise and followed the girls inside.
We were quickly ushered into a small, dark room by our host for the next 30 minutes: a tiny Chinese lady wearing traditional robes, who quietly motioned for us to sit. The room was empty apart from a low wooden table and a few wooden stools. The walls were covered by yellow, slightly peeling wallpaper adorned with Chinese symbols and landscapes.
As we sat down one of the girls turned to me, “the host can only speak Chinese. Don’t worry, I will translate for you. I hope you don’t mind my Engrish” she grinned as the other girl burst out laughing.
A menu was quickly shown to us and one of the girls told me that we would be sampling six different teas today. I noticed that the prices were not listed but after seeing the size of the cups I assumed that it wouldn’t cost much at all.
The ceremony itself was uneventful. The girls told me the history and different ingredients in the teas, and we had a great time laughing and joking, whilst taking lots of photos.
As the ceremony ended, the more talkative of the pair pointed towards the second container of tea. “This was my favourite tea, which was yours?” she asked. I indicated that I liked the fourth tea that we had tried and she excitedly told me I could buy some to take home for my family.
After seeing how ridiculously expensive the prices were, I politely declined. The two girls, however, both chose two bags of tea each.
Then the bill arrived.
The prices, scrawled out grey pencil, tell me my share of the price, including their gifts for their family, comes to 742 yuan (£75)…
I sat there in shock for a while before I remembered the signs plastered all over my hostel. The signs which I spent hours joking about with friends just the day before. The signs which read: “Caution: You may be approached by several young student-type locals with very good English who will offer to take you to a tea ceremony. Do not go with them. This is part of an elaborate scam to trick westerners into paying extortionate amounts of money”
Shit.
Thinking quickly, I immediately refused to pay for part of their tea that they had bought. “But it is tradition”, they giggled, “in China we must always split the bill equally. This is what friends do. Are you not our friend?”
I stood firm, refused to pay the money, and asked the host to recalculate the bill without the tea. The new price came in at 500 yuan (£50).
To put that into perspective, £50 is roughly the cost of two weeks accommodation in China.
Feeling only slightly better with this price I handed over the money and watched one of the girls leave with the host so that she could “pay via credit card”.
The "Lucky Money Toad" they placed on the table in front of me...
As I sat silently cursing myself and my naivety, the remaining girl in the room quickly pulled out an advert for an acrobatic show that evening and asked if I wanted to buy a ticket from her so that we could go together. Thoroughly pissed off by this point, I glared at her and didn’t bother to respond, leaving us both sitting in silence while she stared at me awkwardly.
When the girl returned we left through a different door than we came in through and they led me down a completely different set of backstreets as before, as I focused on how I could get rid of them as quickly as possible.
Suddenly we’re back among the tourists and bright lights and one of the girls tells me they have to meet some other friends now. Relief.
They asked me what my plans were for the rest of the day and as I started to tell them I noticed one of the girls with her arm outstretched behind my back. I swiftly turned around and caught her hand in my bag pulling out my purse.
It was at this point that I lost it.
With adrenaline pumping through my veins I pulled back my fist and with all my strength, I flung it forward and hit her square in the face. I grinned with satisfaction as I saw her stumbling backwards, staring at me in horror.
I gave her a small wink and a smirk before quickly disappearing into the crowd of tourists across the street.
I punched the one to my right...
Upon arriving back in my hostel, I sat down and spent my evening searching online for more information on the Shanghai Tea Scam. The amount of people that had been caught out by the trap was overwhelming. After reading about people losing hundreds and hundreds of pounds through the same scam I realised that it could have been much, much worse, and felt glad to have only lost £50.
The good, and bad, thing to come out of this whole ordeal was that from that moment onwards, if anyone tried to approach me on the street in China I wouldn’t even react and would completely ignore them. Whilst that therefore prevented me from being scammed anymore, it also made me feel a bit sad that I felt that I could no longer trust anyone else.
As the wonderful George Bush famously said: “fool me once, shame on… shame on you. Fool me [pause] You can’t get fooled again”
Have you ever been scammed while on the road? How did you react?
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Lauren is a twenty-something physics graduate, who decided upon graduation to leave behind everyone and everything she knows and travel solo around the world indefinitely. This blog is a record of her travels, photos, experiences and adventures!
OMG!! I can’t believe you punched her!! As I was reading I kept thinking you’d find a way to throw the bill back on them or get your money back, but heck…what revenge! (not that I’d ever advocate physical violence of course, but hey, I think that was payback for dozens, if not hundreds, of tourist they scammed.)
Katie recently posted..30 Days of Indie Travel Project: Giving Thanks
I couldn’t believe I did too… It was so out of character for me. I’d never punch anyone back in England haha.
Oh my god just happened to me .. got scammed the same way in Shangai…same tea shop !!! its a pity I saw this blog late…but I believe that what you do to others it comes back to you !!! Karma
Thug. Haha.
Hopefully you put her scamming days to an end!
Kieron recently posted..Photo Friday #19: Amsterdam Side Street
Hahaha! SUCH a thug
I hope maybe she’ll think twice about scamming other people now, but there’s hundreds more that will take her place anyway 
I woulda punched that beyotch too! Good on ya!!
Raymond @ Man On The Lam recently posted..The Agony in the Air Con
Thanks Raymond!!
I got scammed in China, too–in Guangzhou! I was invited out to tea. I went. Got hungry. The place looked cheap. I wasn’t worried. My “friend” ordered food. Turns out it was dog and snake meat. (I didn’t know due to his poor pronunciation.) The bill came. And he didn’t have his half. I paid. It was expensive! Long story, but…I feel your pain!
Lisa @chickybus recently posted..Trippy Travel Photo #13: The Human Tree, Tikal, Guatemala
Ugh, is there anyone who WASN’T scammed in China?! Dog and snake meat? Yum…
I never got scammed actually. Arrested, but not scammed.
Hahahaha, how?!
I’ve heard of this scam a few times now. A lot of travel bloggers seem to be getting caught with it. Well done for giving her a punch! At least you can feel like you got a little better value for money now
James recently posted..Loch Lomond & The Trossachs
I know, it’s crazy how many people have actually fallen for it. I didn’t think I would be so stupid…
I’m very sorry you had to go through this, there are many of these “cheaters” especially in Nanjing Lu waiting for tourists.. Never go with those who offer you tea, bags, watches, sometimes they truly want to sell, but as a tourist who doesn’t know Shanghai well, never trust them. Even after a year I was there, I never responded when they stopped me in Nanjing Lu. And nothing strange if the tea they gave you was even fake.. There are many tea markets in Shanghai, go to those instead, it’s a really beautiful experience.
Angela recently posted..A trip, a photo – Seville, a maze of narrow alleys
Yeah, I think the reason why I fell for this was because the girls actually spent a good 30 minutes talking to me so my guard was completely down.
Reading this makes me feel so, so sad. I went to China about (gulp) 10 years ago and had the same kind of experience as you…right up to the point where the bill arrived. The Chinese family we’d met on the street (in Beijing) wouldn’t hear of us paying anything, as we were their guests. We met up again a few days later and the same happened then. It truly was one of the best travel experiences I’ve ever had in terms of really connecting with someone…I’m a bit lost for words, really, reading this. I feel for you – and I feel a bit sick about the whole situation.
Abi recently posted..Where in the world is Ljubljana? What the #IronRoute is all about.
That sounds like a great experience, Abi. It’s a shame more people can’t be like that family…
Count me among those who CANNOT BELIEVE YOU ACTUALLY PUNCHED HER, you badass!!! NICE!!!!!
Adventurous Kate recently posted..What Should Women Wear in Jordan?
Hahahaha! Thanks, Kate!
What Kate said. I always know I have the Marine in me, should I need it, but usually go for yelling and getting aggressive, not actual hands-on action. I think I would have been too pissed in the tea room for it to have gotten to the point where I actually paid that much, however. Gentle laughter in disbelief and an offer of an amount I considered reasonable… then on to the yelling, maybe. I’m afraid I might really hurt someone if I got going, though. :/
Katrina recently posted..WoW vs. RL: Un’Goro Crater – Part 1
That maybe would have been a better approach… However, I know there is NO way I’d ever be able to actually hurt anyone so I didn’t mind giving her a quick punch.
Oh man! I recently watched a video all about the art and tea scams in China – crazy crazy stuff.
Can’t believe you punched her (and put the photo up shaming her and her partner-in-crime haha!) Good on you!
Glad it was 50pounds and not a lot more – it’s just crazy for a country which is beginning to come into so much money economically. Hope they learn and go and get a decent job instead of scamming supposedly ‘rich’ white people.
Where I’ve been in China – only Hong Kong, Macau and ShenZehn – there are a few scams but nothing on the scale of what you experienced up North. This is mainly thanks to travelling with family and my father being overly cautious.
I’m yet to be scammed though *touch wood* I would probably knock their block off as well… or stand up and walk out after leaving only a ‘reasonable’ amount of money, and yelling and threatening to spear tackle anyone on my way out of the building (but I’m Australia, I’m allowed to be more crass than you British, right?
)
Nicole recently posted..So you want to be a Camp Counselor? – 5 Steps to Rockin’ a Camp Worthy Portfolio
As soon as I realised I’d been scammed I asked to have our photo taken together so I could use it as EVIDENCE!
I’ve heard the scams are a lot worse in the north too. It was even worse in Beijing, but Hong Kong was fine for me.
I definitely wouldn’t be brave enough to yell and run out haha, I’d be scared they’d come after me and kill me!
I thought you punching her was funny the day you told me about it hun and I still think it’s funny.
Note to scammers worldwide – this bitch bites back =D
x
Toni recently posted..PHOTO ESSAY: Dune 45 and Deadvlei, Namibia
Hahahaha, yes, I am so aggressive and full of rage
Ack! What a nasty experience to have. I can’t believe they were even willing to have their picture taken when they knew what they were doing to you. I’m always so disappointed in mankind when I read about things like this. Would make me think twice before ever visiting Shanghai.
Sunee recently posted..Four African Countries For the Price of One
It’s funny in that at the time they came across as the sweetest, most genuine people ever. They even asked for my email address so that we could stay in contact afterwards!
I doubt I’ll ever go back to Shanghai again.
Which sucks because this really isn’t a bad place once you get past all the scammers on East Nanjing Rd. (West Nanjing Rd is just expensive).
Yeah, I just had a rubbish experience overall. Ah well, never say never and all that
HA! You actually punched her!! That is beyond awesome. Sorry you got scammed, though.
But hopefully you at least felt a little better after your revenge!
Amanda recently posted..You Can Live a “Normal” Life and Travel, Too
I felt SO much better
I have GOT to start punching people who scam me! I would have much better stories and feel so much more vindicated in the end! You go!
Angie Orth of Angie Away recently posted..Jane Austen’s England | A Pilgrimage Guide
It’s the way forward haha! I felt so empowered afterwards… Don’t mess with me haha
YES!!!
Matthew Karsten recently posted..Jungle Fishing with a Machete [PHOTO]
Glad you approve!
Well done for punching her – respect.
I even get the pleasure of seeing what she looks like thanks to the photo. I wonder what she looks like since you rearranged her face.
Hahaha, thanks, Terry! Yeah, perhaps I should have taken a before and after photo?
haha good onya!!! I’m very sorry though that you had to experience this!!
I wish I punched that idiot who scammed me in Denmark in August. I lost 120 € that day!!
Sebastian @ Off-The-Path.com recently posted..My Bucket List
Wow, 120 euros is a lot! What happened?
Good for you! I actually shouted “YES” when I got to that part. Serves her right for trying to steal from you a second time. I hope you drew blood.
The worst I ever got was those worthless bead necklace in the Caribbean that they put on your neck and ask for a donation for their school. Much less than what you paid.
cashflowmantra recently posted..Warren Buffett, Intel, and Me
Hahahaha, I’m glad my post caused you to yell excitedly at your computer screen. I don’t think I punched her hard enough to draw blood!
Wow, so it wasn’t enough to rip you off with the tea ceremony. Trying to go for all of it?! Only would’ve been better if you could have snapped a pic of her after the punch. Well done.
Phil recently posted..Pre-Trip Travel Health Checklist
I know, that was what really pissed me off! Don’t scam me and THEN try and rob me!!
Reminds me of the shoe shine scammers here in Brazil. They’ll shine your shoes (even your crappy running shoes) before you know what’s happening, then try to charge you ridiculous amounts of money. If you can talk them down to a small rate, they take your bills and run away without giving you change. Have to be careful though, they usually have some pretty dangerous “protection” nearby.
Good for you for (literally) fighting back! I’m sure it felt good. I didn’t expect that and laughed out loud when I read it!
And I agree, good for you for posting her picture and shaming her further!
Peg recently posted..Why We’re Not Going RTW
Wow, that sounds so ridiculous! I had a rapper guy in New York once ask me for my name, autographed a CD for me and then tried to get me to pay $10 for it!
Glad you enjoyed the post!
I had heard of the tea scam and the art scam before. It can be so hard to stay vigilant when you are traveling. Good job with the punch though
James Cook recently posted..Destination Summary : Majorca
I’d heard of it before and I can’t believe I still fell for it!
I bet Tea has a different meaning now than it ever did. haha. Sorry about your ordeal
It definitely put me off drinking it for a while!
I love the wink afterwards!
Tran recently posted..What is #heybackpacker?
Hahahah! It definitely made me feel better!
HAHA omg – I can’t believe you punched her! Great article, I feel like I’m almost there in the background going “woooooooo HELL YEAH!” as you punch the scammer in the face!
I think I’d have believed them, too – especially if they talk to you for 30 minutes beforehand in near-perfect English. It’s a lot different than someone who talks to you for 2 minutes in broken English along the lines of, “where you from? what you name? you like here?……..ok, you come with me to bar?” “ahahahaha…no.”
Thanks for posting this, though – here in Korea, Shanghai is a popular place to go for a quick vacation so I’ll make my other teacher friends here aware of this!
Yeah, that’s the thing – if they’d asked me to go with them within a few minutes of meeting me there’s no way I would have fallen for it!
Yeah, spread the word! During my week in Shanhai, half the people I had spoken to had fallen for the exact same scam too! I can’t believe they’ve managed to get away with it for so long…
Wow, can’t believe you punched her but I bet that felt really good! Hahaha.
Geraldine recently posted..The age-old argument of Samsung vs. Apple
It felt SO good!
You are straight gangsta! Love how you threw in the smirk after the punch. As chill as I am I could’ve gone Hulk status in that situation too. =P These kind of situations usually makes for a great story, glad you’re OK!
Gerard ~ GQ trippin recently posted..6 Free Attractions to See in Buenos Aires
Hahahaha, thanks!!
That brought back memories, few years back I also got scammed in Shanghai. It wasn’t with tea, it was with wine, but the same thing basically, she took her time. At that point I had thought myself invincible, getting scammed, nah, that won’t happen to me, I am too experienced for that kind of stuff! It did teach me a lesson. But what is with Shanghai and scams…
Thou I am impressed with your revenge, good for you!
Jarmo @ Arctic Nomad recently posted..To Pai and Back, the Long Way
Ah, Shanghai seems like one of the worst places in the world for scams! It has definitely put me off ever wanting to go back again.
During my travels I like to stay in villages and small towns and to visit cities just once in a while. In villages there’s no scammers and in general it is more relaxing and people are sincerely friendly. I usually rent a cheap room right next to the locals, who invite me to the dinners at their homes and show me around just because it’s so interesting for them to interact with a foreigner. If You think that You could like it too, You can try! My last rent for a month was 15 euros (in Africa) and it was a great month.
Sounds awesome!
Incredible story! Good on you for standing up to them.
Thanks, Bret! Glad you liked the story!
You are seriously hardcore. Don’t mess with t’Lauren. She’ll kick your ass.
After buying you a cup of tea.
Dave recently posted..The Friday Photo #84 – The old city walls of Chiang Mai
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. LOVE.
Sucks that you got scammed, but totally awesome you caught them before they could steal your purse and that you got some revenge! It’s a shame that you will be less trusting going forward, but there are still lots of friendly, trustworthy people out there. Maybe travel is one way to improve our people-reading skills.
Ali recently posted..Malaysian Borneo – Visiting the Orangutans
Yeah, that’s true, and it is sad that it got to the point where I was blanking anyone who ever came up to me.
Once I left China, I wasn’t so skeptical of strangers anymore though.
Well I guess we know the answer to the question “You wouldn’t hit someone with glasses would you?” My buddy and I encountered the same thing in Beijing, and getting tired of it decided we would pretend to be Russian and they’d leave us alone. Turned out, they also spoke Russian, so that plan wasn’t so effective…
The World of Deej recently posted..A Tale of Two Travelers
Hahaha, that’s hilarious! I tried the whole pretending that I couldn’t speak English when I was in Bangkok recently, but when I walked past the guy 5 minutes later I completely forgot…
Next time don’t pay
I didn’t know how to NOT pay… I didn’t want to be killed!!
I don’t blame you for punching her, that would be my first instinct if someone had my wallet in their hand. It’s horrible. A girl we were traveling with in China was scammed as well and ended up paying 70 Euro for tea. She felt sick when she returned. It happens to the most seasoned of travellers. These scam artists are so good at what they do!
I know, they are SO sneaky! I met so many people who had the exact same thing happen to them, apparently the scam has been going for well over 10 years now… I can’t believe they’re still getting away with it!
I think you got her to quit her night job. LOL. Thug status indeed. Glad you stood your ground and only paid 50. Definitely on my radar when we arrive in Shanghai next year. In the mean time, I’ll practice my right hook just in case. =)
Kieu ~ GQ trippin recently posted..6 Free Attractions to See in Buenos Aires
Hahaha, maybe she’ll now think twice about scamming others… I doubt it though.
Yeah, be careful in Shanghai, pretty much everyone is trying to scam you..
Wow, you actually punched her! Kickass! Sorry to hear you got scammed though!
But at least you got some revenge!
Abhijit recently posted..Where to find art in Stockholm?
Yeah, the revenge made me feel a lot better!
Wow, that’s quite an elaborate scam – guess the amount of money they can make off trusting foreigners is worth it to them. We got “almost-scammed” in Jamaica a few years ago…. luckily we had refused to give payment up front until our so-called private day-trip was complete, or we would have been out a couple of hundred dollars. As the saying goes : “Live and learn!” Hope you’ll come check out my website & Page too! Enjoying yours a lot. Sincerely, Deborah
Thanks for your comment, Deborah! Glad to hear you managed to escape being scammed
Good for you! I’m glad you “lost it”…no need for tourist to get taken advantage of!
Glad you’re okay.
Karl
Karl Searl recently posted..Happy Thanksgiving! Gobble Gobble
Thanks, Karl!
We like to think we won’t get scammed but our first day in Beijing we ended up following a “student” to his art exhibition. Once we realized what it was we got out pretty quickly. Also in Beijing many people wanting to take their picture with Larissa because of her blonde hair. Some seemed legitimate then we started noticing groping hands for her purse so she stopped her star turn after that.
Ah, when I was in Beijing I had a LOT of people asking me to visit their art exhibition.
I had a lot of people wanting to take a picture with me, thankfully nobody attempted to rob me (that I know of)!
Wow, kudos to you for actually teaching those people a lesson! It’s sad but China is rife with scam artists and swindlers – the rule of thumb is never to trust locals who try to strike up a conversation with you.
I was scammed last year in Madrid, although I was pretty lucky as they only got away with 20 euros. I was with a friend in Retiro Park (she was walking ahead) when these two girls approached me, saying that they were collecting signatures and a donation for disabled children. I naively said “yes”, and feeling kind I proceeded to give them a 10 euro note. With a smile they asked if I could possibly give them 20 euros. And I (stupidly) obliged. Then they asked for a form of ID.
That was the moment that I knew it was a scam. I had already handed them the money but there was no way I was going to let them see the rest of my wallet. So I refused and that’s when my friend came running back to shoo them away.
A few months later my housemate’s mum fell pray to the same scam, but this time she was not so lucky. When she showed them her wallet they covered it with their papers and made a scene. It was only a few blocks later when she realised that they had stolen 320 euros (all the money) from right under her nose.
It’s a real shame because I genuinely love Madrid – I feel a lot safer there than in Barcelona, which is known for its pickpockets and con artists. But a lesson learned is a lesson learned.
James recently posted..Sweet like wine, Niagara-on-the-Lake
Yep, definitely learnt my lesson.
Ugh, that’s an awful story – at least you realised it was a scam before it was too late.
Wow, what a story! Getting scammed is the worst, but I’m glad you stood up for yourself!
Grace recently posted..5 Great China Taxi Tips
Thanks, Grace! I felt pretty rubbish at first, but am pleased I did something about it.
it sucks that you were scammed out of your money and they still had the nerve to try to steal your purse. i wish you swung two blows
Zablon Mukuba recently posted..Volunteering abroad and Universities
I KNOW! That was what made me really mad!
Wow, what a story… Reminds me of the one time I was in Kenya with my now ex-wife and kids. After a glass-bottom-boat ride, the locals lured us to a tent on the beach, with was where we had to “pay for the excursion”. We entered the tent, and there was a man sitting on a small bench to the side… he asked us to sit down on the larger bench on other side of the tent… we did and then a bunch of locals entered, loaded with “artisanata”.
the aggressive way they were selling their stuff intimidated (read: scared)us to the point that we ended up buying things that we really didn’t want, paying 10x what we were going to spend on the boat ride… We were able to “negotiate” about the price, but the thing is that they made us feel trapped in the tent and they would not let us go until we had bought a certain value worth of stuff…
We didn’t punch anybody though… That must have took some serious guts
Raf Kiss recently posted..Confronting the Hectic Rio de Janeiro Traffic – Photo Essay
Ugh, that does sound really scary, and I definitely wouldn’t have punched them!
Heya, I got scammed in exactly the same way in Beijing!! I had no idea that these existed, and didn’t suspect cos scammers never usually invest so much time on so little a guarantee of success. Luckily I had sorted myself financially and was catching a plane tomorrow, so I ACTUALLY had no money on me, after an hour of chatting, and another 30mins of arguing, the waitresses let me walk out of a £300 (!!!) tea & snack bill, and thats JUST my half!!… I’d like to believe they weren’t part of the scam? It made me lose my cool though, and had to literally snap my blocked credit card to get my point across! Its weird to hear how common this thing is :S
It’s amazing just how many people actually fall for this scam, it’s been around for years!
That’s the problem, when they really take the time to properly talk to you, you let your guard down. They were definitely part of the scam though :/
And, oh my god, £300!!!?!?! What were you drinking, tea of gold?!
Hilarious, Lauren! I also yelled out ‘Yes!’ when I got to the punching part. That is something you always want to do after you realize you’ve been scammed, so it’s awesome that you just went ahead and clocked her in the face in the moment. We’re all for non-violence, etc, but robbing you after scamming you is just so wrong. We got scammed in Bangkok recently and I am still dreaming up ways to get that bad man back if I see him next time (we know where his office is…) I probably won’t punch him though…wanna come?
GlobetrotterGirls recently posted..Polaroid of the week: Mountain biking in Nong Khiew, Laos
Hahahaha, I sense a new side project now!
Yikes. I’m sure the punch wasn’t premeditated, but I’d really be careful about retaliating against scammers in China by punching them. In fact, it’s very likely doing something like this could end up in you paying even more money!
A foreign coworker of mine in China got in a bar fight last year with a local guy. Even though the fight was initiated by the local, my coworker was the one who was dragged to jail. The police were definitely on the side of the local. In order to get out of having charges pressed against him, my coworker had to pay a bribe to the guy he punched. So, yeah, it’s probably a good thing police weren’t around, as you might have been the one who ended up in trouble, not the scammers!
That being said, I’m sorry you’ve had such troublesome experiences in China. I’ve lived here 10 months and really haven’t had any trouble at all. Granted I don’t live in a touristy area, so I get to avoid a lot of the hassle. I hope the rest of your time in China was better!
Sally recently posted..What I’ve Been Doing While I Haven’t Been Here (Because I Know You Were All Dying to Know)
Oh, I definitely agree, I wasn’t thinking, and I was so fortunate that there was nobody around who saw.
The rest of my time in China was pretty tough, but I’ll be back to explore the non-touristy areas soon enough!
I got caught by this on my very first day in Shanghai. I hadn’t even heard of the scams, and was just happy for the company, I moved to Shanghai to start a new job and knew exactly no one in the city so I was heart warmed to spend time with some (seemingly) pleasant strangers.
I got stung for £100, and didn’t actually realise until I had become a bit more experienced in China.
I felt embarassed more than anything, that I could be so naive.
That was two years ago now and I’m still in Shanghai, so you live and learn
You too?!
I felt embarrassed too, and left Shanghai the next day haha! Well done for sticking it out!
ahahahahaha!! You showed her whats up! Good for you!
Jade Johnston recently posted..Guinness and Jameson – The Flavours of Dublin
Hehehe, thanks!
That’s awful! I’m glad you stood up for yourself in the end. It’s awful that tourists can be taken advantage like this.
Maria D. recently posted..Tips for keeping it cheap in a small town
I know, it really is. They’ve been doing this scam for 10 years and still people keep falling for it…
Sweet young Chinese girls trying to rip of a westerner? I am shocked, but at least you got away losing what you did. Only time I ever had a problem was Picadilly Square London, years ago. I lost a small amount but it was tense for awhile between me and a huge genetic mutation of a man.
The Travel Fool recently posted..Travel Tips For a Great Vacation
Hhahahahahaha!! Fortunately I’ve never been scammed in London. I’d be far too scared to punch someone there!
Holy crap! You punched her!! That is marvelous.
dtravelsround recently posted..They gave me a machete: a true story of corn-cutting
Meeting locals can be the best part of travelling. It’s a shame when they try and screw you.
Sam recently posted..Gooseberry Mesa Mountain Biking
It’s true, and I had no interest in speaking to any locals in China after this…
[...] Getting scammed in Shanghai… And my Revenge Two con artists push things just that little bit too far for Lauren’s liking. [...]
I remember anti-Thai I felt after being scammed in Thailand. Six months later, I’m planning my next trip. I would say that my point in bring that up is to not let what a few people do to you affect how you feel about an entire population.
But then when I read about your experiences there as a whole, it seems like these weren’t isolated incidents.
You have firmly satisfied my desire to not go to China. It’s never been high on my list and I’m pretty much scratching it off altogether.
Do the tourism authorities there do anything to help detract these scams? I still can’t believe you had to part with that much money for tea. Unfortunately you had to learn the lesson the hard way. Kudos to you for sticking up for yourself.
Think they have websites in China where they post all the pictures they take with tourists?
Fidel @IHarTravel recently posted..5 Holiday Gifts for the World Traveler In Your Family
They do nothing at all. The scams have been going on for around 10 years now and still everyone keeps getting caught by them.
Hahahaha, wow, I want to find those websites!
I was totally going to make a comment about you not having to go all the way to China to find somebody willing to grope you, but then I read on and you turned into a friggin’ ninja bad-ass.
Nothing but respect.
Aussie on the Road recently posted..My Ten Year High School Reunion
Hahahahaha!
[...] Getting Scammed in Shanghai… and My Revenge by Neverending Footsteps [...]
I guess i should find a group of people to go then
trvl8dintern recently posted..Affordable options for Milan’s La Scala Opera
I’d definitely recommend doing so
Those look like the same two girls that tried to do the scam to me in Shanghai, however they called it going to a “festival”. I started walking with them some but then realized what was going on and changed my mind.
Glad you punched her in the face.
Jeremy recently posted..The Two Castle Phenomena in Japan
Oh, really? Maybe they were!
It is so hilarious that you actually PUNCHED that girl! You did what many, many other travelers have undoubtedly wanted to do so badly after being scammed but didn’t have the guts or the opportunity. I’ve been tricked and nearly tricked my fair share of times but haven’t lost 50 GBP. I’m sure next time you won’t either
Sabina recently posted..Observations From Traveling Overland Through Egypt
I hope I wouldn’t be stupid enough to fall for it again!
Wow. You popped her. I’m not sure I would do that. Good on you tho. Its funny how famous this scam is and yet it works again and again.
I got scammed a great one in Morocco. A guy was going to get me a special seat on a ferry. So I gave him my money to get the ticket. He never came back. And then I found out there was no ferry.
Hilarious!
Jim O’Donnell recently posted..My Shot of the Day: Lighting of LeDoux
Hahahahaha, oh wow, that would make me so mad, but it’s really funny too!
[...] My favorite post? Her recent superhero turn in Shanghai. [...]
I’m usually not violent. I think you showed great patience and restraint before leveling justice
Great job!
Visiting Wanderer recently posted..National WWI Museum & Liberty Memorial in Kansas City
Thanks so much. It was the attempted robbery that really made me lose it!
New scam, or maybe not… Entered bar that showed up on a “nearby” social networking app, desperate for a drink and a light bite to eat… Bottle of red & snacks… ate and drank and played pool with some others there… On leaving and paying for bill (downstairs from main area) it was 6790rmb.. !! I asked for the menu to show them the prices, but the menu was a new menu with a “0″ added to everything.. So, in particular that bottle of wine that was ordered for 450rmb (exhorbitant in itself, but it was my xmas gift) was charged for 4500rmb…. In total, bill was equiv of 931US$$… I refused to pay, asked to call the police, whereby door was blocked and I was pushed down. I sat there for a while flummoxed as to what to do. My Chinese SIM was only good for data, not voice, and annoyingly no one was online to assist… I bartered with them, but they held firm… So, being female, alone, mobile battery on 4% after a whole day out and about and it closing on in to midnight (and a little scared at this point). I decided to pay… Nice pretty night for them.
Spoke to hotel wondering whether police would be interested, but was told no, by several different ppl.
Still, first scam/rob in 23 years of independent travel across all continents… So the average of last nights scam, is what allows me to move forward, and enjoy the rest of china.
So what to do?
A: don’t travel by yourself?
B: take a photo of every menu?
C: risk physical harm and no pay?
D: something else?
I have no answers to this one at present…
Annoyed, out of pocket massively Australian.
WOW! I can’t believe that happened! But in the same situation I think I would have paid too.
It’s horrible that these things happen, because it puts people off of travelling, and makes them not want to return to China (or elsewhere).
I hope you tried going to the police anyway.
[...] till January 5th then continuing down south on our way down to Peru.Happy New Years!LinksGetting scammed in Shanghai… And my revenge on Never Ending Footsteps: The tea scam is extremely popular in China. It amazes me how many [...]
Wow, I do remember that
Thank you very much for your helpful tip…
No problem, Issa.
And BTW your website is great. And what a shame that happened. Perhaps try a non A-list city. I think this thing happens in Beijing too. I was suspicious myself but perhaps the smaller cities are better. Good luck and google “China scams” for a good list (I did this).
Thanks. I’ve heard of it happening in Beijing as well – while I was there I had people approaching me and asking me to visit tea ceremonies with them.
I googled China scams as soon as I returned to my hostel and couldn’t believe just how long these scams had been going for, and that they still happen now!
Lauren,
Love your blog. I too got (kind of) scammed in Shanghai (though I had my suspicions) and I can’t believe this is still going on. http://withoutbaggage.com/essays/china-shanghai/ I’m sorry you didn’t like China. I was just there for three weeks in December and, I admit, it was a hard place to like at first. But it grew on me. Can’t wait to read more of your stuff.
-Hank
[...] you just know that Lauren from Neverending Footsteps would use brute force as her solution to all four of the dilemmas [...]
Great post, thanks for the laugh! I went to China about 10 years back and the different scams were always an eventful challenge on a daily occurrence. The joys of travelling hey!?
Cheers Peter
Peter recently posted..The Lion Fortress of Sigiriya {Photo Junket}
Wow, you are freakin’ badass! Punched her in the face? Hell yeah! I have yet to venture outside of New Zealand, but I am quickly learning that there are scams all over the world like this to watch out for!
Ryan Brown recently posted..The Hobbit Casting Call: An Unexpected Disaster.
I can’t believe you punched her! That is amazing. I’m sad that you weren’t able to trust anyone after that, though. I know the feeling as I’m currently in Shanghai and have perfected the “bitch” face when people come up to me and say “Hey lady, you watch. Lovely watch. Hey lady, you purse. Fancy purse.”
Lauren recently posted..Misadventures in Shanghai, China: A Barren City, aka Finding Food on Lunar New Year’s Day
Ha! They look exactly like the two girls who tried to scam me in November. One had glasses too and the other didn’t. I wonder if it is them? I wouldn’t be surprised. They were in front of that museum and spoke to me for a while. I had already heard about the scam and was suspicious of their intentions (as I am with any-one who wants to know where I am from and how they are learning english and want to practise), but gave them the benefit of the doubt. When the mentioned the tea party I laughed and told them they should be ashamed to be learning english for the purpose of scamming tourists. Then I walked off. I hope they lost face, but I doubt it. I wish now that I had said it louder…
So awesome you punched that girl. You are my hero!
Roy Marvelous recently posted..Hello World. I’m Back. Kind Of.
Had the same experience several years ago. Was heading to watch the parade at Tianamen Square when two girls asked me to come see their school art competition. Have been scammed once before so am always weary. Lucky I had no money when they wanted me to pay for their artwork – so they gave up and moved onto other tourists.
Was scammed in NY by a guy getting me a cab and he took $20. I was tired after walking around all day with a really heavy backpack on – sigh, an easy target.
Had another one where an Arab guard was trying to entice me into a secluded spot during the Karnak night show for a good photo opportunity. My sixth sense told me to get out of there and get back to the tour group. I always wonder what might have happened if I followed him.
All I can say is always have your wits about you.
Wow good thing you mentioned this in your blog. We have an upcoming trip to China and we’ll watch out for this.
I HAVE BEEN READING ALL OFF THIS BEFOR ARRIVING IN CHINA ALL THE SCAMS EVERYTHING..AND WHEN I WAS WALKING THE STREETS TRYING TO GET TO WEST NANJING RD 588 WHERE THE BIG MARKET IS, I WANTED TO SEE THE FAKE IPHONE S WITH MY OWN EYES AND TRY IT MABE BUY IT. SO I TOOK A TAXI TO PEOPLES SQUARE I TOLD EVERYBODY, FUCK OFF, NO, ETC..BUT I COULD NOT FIND THE DAMN MARKET..TOOK A TAXI BACK WENT ONLINE GOT THE ADRESS IN CHINESE WENT BACK THE NEXT DAY..AFTER SEVRAL HOURS IN THE MARKET I WENT OUT, WALKING THE STREETS THINKING WAT THA HELL IM I DOING HERE ALIEN LOOKIN TYPE THATS HOW U FEEL EVERYONE LOOKING AT YOU STRANGE YOU THINK SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOU. SO I MEET THIS PERSON, I TOLD HIM NO ALSO,, BUT HE DID NOT GIVE UPP AFTER 20MIN NOT LYING I LOOK BACK,, AND HELLO SIR YOU WANNA GO WANNA GO,,DAMN I SAYED LISTEN TAKE ME SOMEWERE I WOULD LIKE A BEER OOHH SIR ITS CLOSED THIS IS CHINA 10PM EVERYTHING CLOSE COME I TAKE YOU ONE NICE PLACE WITH GIRLS..DUMB AS I AM I THINK BEER BEER BEER, THIRSTY WALKING 8HOURS STR8 I FOLLOW..THRU BLACK DARK ALLEYS…
TONY recently posted..Eight Months of Travel – Summary and Statistics
so i end upp payin 600rmb totall but im gonna get it back i told them I will be back motha fuckers befor leaving.. \I had 1000rmb showed it to the 2 big chinese dudes he went we split 60/40 i go no i give you 300 and leave now… \he goes no 400 and you keep the rest take taxi home.. ‘i gave him becuse the son off a bitch held a knife and sayed enough talking pay and leave or problem.. \i go are you robbing me he goes no laughing.. \i stand upp and say take it but remember one thing i will be back and i wont forgett your face…he looks at me angry but at this point i go stabb me motha fucka go ahead..not saying it but thinking it feed upp..!!! and leaving i scream ill be back feeling termintatorish…Im planning on going back in there..\!!! I cant sleep i live here now and i wont give upp…! they will pay me..\!
TONY recently posted..Eight Months of Travel – Summary and Statistics
Just found this thread and wanted to add my own story. It only really dawned on me when I returned home that Id been fleeced especially after reading some of the responses in this thread so elaborate and subtle it was.
I decided to visit the Yuyuan garden in Shanghai. I had just exited from the Yuyuan garden metro station and wasn’t sure which way to go but started walking in what I thought could be the right direction. As I was walking along the busy main road I was stopped by two young women who asked me to take a photograph of them with the famous radio tower visible in the background. I remember thinking to myself at the time, looking back, that they would have been much better going down to the Bund river and getting a great photo from there. They asked me where I was from and what I was doing in Shanghai. It transpired, supposedly, that they were students having travelled down from a city near to Beijing. I explained that I was heading toward the gardens. They told me they were headed in that direction so would show me how to get there.
In the course of the conversation I asked them where they were headed and they explained that as China was in the midst of the spring tea festival they were going to see a tea ceremony. With no need of being asked, I asked if I could go along with them. In my head I think I was imagining some sort of open air tea market with a live FREE demonstration taking place. Clueless and ripe for the picking doesn’t even cut it really does it?
I was surprised to discover us all going indoors to watch a ceremony conducted in the same way as some of the earlier comments mention. One of the women was explaining everything to me in English and I had a really enjoyable time and found it all very interesting. I also decided to buy some tea as well. Now the prices of the tea were shown to me beforehand and I could see clearly that they were priced at about 350 RMB each. I remember thinking that that seemed ridiculous at about the equivalent of £35. Having only been there for a day and in my naivete I assumed that I must have confused myself with the exchange rate, it wasn’t £35 it was £3.50 of course. That sounded about right for a bag of tea. So of course when the bill for the ceremony was presented as 1000 RMB, I assumed it to be £10 (I could kick myself now) How did I get this so wrong? It was my first trip to China, I was only there for 2 nights so this was really my only day to go out and explore and use the currency for the first time. I had been to Japan a couple of times where 1000 JPY is actually about £10. So when the total bill came of 1773 RMB I naturally thought it was going to cost me about £17 – £18, perfectly reasonable for a local insight in to Chinese tea culture.
I was so grateful to the girls for letting me tag along as I had asked and they’d welcomed me and been so kind that I offered to pay for the tea ceremony after all it was only a tenner. There had not been any acts of astonishment on there part of the prices as I had not at any point questioned them as I thought it was all legit. They then told me that they wanted to buy me a gift along with their own tea purchases and asked me if I would like one of the small tea pots with two tea cups that came in a presentable box. At this point we exchanged email addresses. They then walked with me to the Yuyuan market area and showed me where the entrance to the gardens where. They said they were then going to meet their friend but were planning to go in to the garden later so might possibly see me in there otherwise wished me well for the rest of the trip.
It was only when I was leaving the hotel the next day and chatting to the rest of my crew about my amazing cheap 1 hour massage that cost just 89 RMB I realised just how much I had actually paid for the tea and ceremony. I must admit that even then it didn’t occur to me that Id been scammed. I obviously don’t operate in a cynical way and put my trust in people far too easily. It was only when I came home and tried to research the cost of such ceremonies that I was lead to this thread and it all became clear.
I fell for this one good and proper and they really didn’t have to work hard to get what they wanted out of me. I had invited myself along before they even asked. Was this all down to my own curiosity or had I been coerced? They showed me the prices and I agreed to pay without hesitation due to my unfortunate conversion skills. They even bought me the small tea set as a gift. Why did they do this? Was it because they felt sorry for me?
I’m not feeling too annoyed about it because there’s obviously no point, I can’t do anything about it it’s happened. I’ll obviously become much more vigilant about it the next time I’m there and I’ll personally make sure that any crew I travel with who haven’t been there before get a little warning about it.