The main tourist scams in China in 2026: unlicensed taxis, fake stickers over QR codes, counterfeit banknotes and fraudulent visa websites. How to protect yourself.
Unlicensed taxis at airports and stations
The most common scheme meets the tourist before they even leave the terminal: at the airports and stations of big cities unofficial drivers circulate, offering to “quickly take you to your hotel”. Strictly speaking this is not outright deception — you really are driven there — but the final price turns out several times higher than the standard fare of an official taxi, and it is usually discussed only after you are in the car, when haggling is awkward.
Protecting yourself is simple: use only the official taxi rank with a dispatcher or a booking app (DiDi, the Chinese equivalent of Uber, works across the country), and don’t accept offers from drivers who approach you in the arrivals hall. If you take an ordinary taxi, find out the approximate cost of the route in advance — through the app or at an information desk — and insist that the meter is switched on.
Fake stickers over QR codes
China is a country where QR payment is found literally everywhere: from restaurants to street stalls and car parks. It is precisely this ubiquity that creates a loophole for fraudsters: criminals stick a fake QR code over the real one — for example on a sign at a café entrance, on a parking machine or on a notice in a public place — and the code leads not to the official payment page but to a fraudulent site that steals card data or sends money directly to the criminal’s account.
Before scanning any QR code in a public place, quickly check its physical condition: a sticker over the original, uneven edges, traces of glue around it are all reasons to be wary. Don’t rush to pay “urgently” by QR code if the situation looks a little odd, and pay attention to the address of the site that opens after scanning — especially if the app asks you to enter card details manually rather than simply make the usual payment through WeChat Pay or Alipay.
Counterfeit banknotes and disputes over change
When paying in cash yuan, especially with large 100-yuan notes, tourists sometimes face a situation where a note received as change turns out to be fake, or a dispute arises over its authenticity after the money has already changed hands. The most reliable way to avoid this is to keep cash payments to a minimum and use cashless payment (a card or mobile wallet) wherever possible — which in China is almost always possible. If paying cash is unavoidable, withdraw money from ATMs at major bank branches rather than exchanging currency with random people on the street, and check the notes you receive on the spot, before leaving the counter.
Fake e-visa and arrival-card websites
Another scheme that operates at the trip-preparation stage rather than in China itself is fake websites imitating the official portal for e-visa or arrival-card processing and charging for a service that is free on government resources or costs exactly the official fee without a markup. Use only official government sites, check the domain carefully before entering passport data and remember: filing an electronic arrival card is free in itself, and a visa costs exactly what is stated in the official tariff of the consulate or visa centre — without “urgency service surcharges” from outside sites.
Scammers posing as police, a bank or an embassy
A rarer but dangerous scheme is phone or written fraud in which the criminal introduces themselves as a police officer, bank employee or embassy official and demands that you hand over documents, give card details or urgently transfer money supposedly to “resolve a problem” with a visa, a fine or a bank account. The key sign is the demand for urgency and pressure on emotions. Neither the police, nor a bank, nor an embassy ever asks for original documents or card details over the phone or in correspondence — at the slightest doubt hang up and call the organisation back directly on its official number, not the one the caller gave.
Practical checklist
- Take taxis only at the official rank with a dispatcher or through the DiDi app — don’t accept offers from drivers in the arrivals hall.
- Check the physical condition of a QR code before scanning — a sticker over the original or traces of glue signal a fake.
- Keep cash payments to a minimum and use cashless payment wherever possible.
- Arrange your visa and arrival card only on official government sites.
- Never hand over documents or card details over the phone — neither the police, nor a bank, nor an embassy works that way.
- The most dangerous word in any suspicious situation is “urgent”: don’t hurry if you are being pushed to decide immediately.
Frequently asked questions
Is China safe for tourists in general?
Yes, street crime in China is low compared with many other popular destinations, but that does not rule out scams aimed specifically at tourists — it is worth knowing them in advance.
How can I tell that a QR code has been faked?
The signs are a sticker over the original code, uneven edges, traces of glue around it. At the slightest doubt it is better not to scan the code and to find another way to pay.
Should I take a taxi right at the airport exit?
It is safer to use the official taxi rank with a dispatcher or order a car through an app — drivers who approach tourists in the arrivals hall most often inflate the price several times over.
What should I do if someone calls claiming to be from an embassy or a bank?
Don’t give any data or transfer money — hang up and call the organisation back directly on the official number from its website to check whether the contact was genuine.
What next
See the practical guide on how to pay in China and sort out the visa and visa-free rules before your trip.
Scam schemes are constantly evolving — stay vigilant and, when in doubt, contact official sources directly rather than the contacts in a suspicious message.
