Common scams in Shanghai and how to spot them

The short answer. Shanghai is a safe city for visitors, and most trips pass without a problem. The scams that do happen follow a few patterns, and most start the same way: a stranger offers to take you somewhere. Politely decline, pay only where you chose to go, agree the price before you order or ride, and call 110 if you are held or threatened.

A friendly stranger invites you for tea, a drink or an art show

How it works. Someone approaches you in a busy tourist area, often saying they want to practise English. After some conversation they suggest a tea ceremony, a cheap massage, drinks or an “exhibition” nearby. At the venue you are given a bill far above what the visit justified, and you are not let go until you pay. The Singapore consulate in Shanghai lists the tea ceremony and the massage or bar tab among the common tourist scams in its advisory. The art version has the same shape, with pressure to buy pictures instead.

Red flags

• A stranger starts the conversation and then leads you down side streets.
• The venue is not one you chose, and there is no printed price list.
• You are asked to order before seeing prices.

What to do

• Say no, smile, and keep walking. You do not owe a stranger your time.
• If you want tea or a drink, choose the place yourself and ask for the price list first.
• If you are pushed to pay, photograph the shopfront, the street sign or a nearby landmark so police can find the place, then go to the nearest police station or call 110. The Singapore consulate gives the same advice, and also suggests setting a spending limit on your card for the trip.

A dating-app match picks the bar

How it works. We found no official Shanghai notice on this pattern, so we describe it only in general terms. You match with someone, meet in person, and they propose a particular bar or restaurant. The bill is out of proportion to what you ordered.

Red flags: a venue chosen by someone you have just met, a menu without prices, or a rush to order drinks or a set package.

What to do: suggest a place of your own for a first meeting, ask for prices before you order, and leave if the answers are vague. Meet in public, and tell a friend where you are.

Unlicensed cars and taxis

How it works. At airports and stations, drivers approach you inside the terminal and offer a ride. Others use a taxi but claim the meter is broken or quote a flat fare. The Singapore advisory lists “black taxis”, especially at airports, charging more than a metered taxi.

What to do

• Ignore offers inside the terminal. Use the official taxi queue, the metro, or an app you have set up beforehand; see Getting around Shanghai.
• Insist on the meter. Ask for a receipt (发票, fāpiào) that shows the taxi number, and keep it.
• If the meter is not running, get out before the car moves.

Cheap “branded” goods and low-price offers

How it works. Touts offer watches, bags or other goods well below normal prices, in the street or in a shop they lead you to. We have no official notice on the street version, so treat the advice below as general. Shanghai’s government does warn about the online version: heavily discounted tickets or branded goods that require a bank transfer, followed by fake “verification” demands for more money.

What to do: decline touts, and do not pay by bank transfer to a stranger. A card or a payment app used in an established shop gives you a record.

A phone call from “the police”

How it works. A caller says you are linked to a crime, or that a parcel in your name contains something illegal, and asks you to move money to a “safe” or “supervisory” account. Shanghai’s government states that police never collect deposits or move funds into designated accounts, and that a call from the number 96110 indicates a possible telecom fraud attempt.

What to do: hang up, share no passwords or bank details, and check with your bank through its official hotline rather than a number the caller gives you.

If it happens to you

1. Get to safety first. If you are held, threatened or forced to pay, call 110. Shanghai’s 110 line is offered in eight foreign languages including English, so you do not need Chinese. Give your location and your details so officers can reach you.
2. Keep evidence. Photograph the venue, the street, the bill and the menu. Keep any receipt, taxi slip or payment record.
3. If you paid by card, contact your card issuer soon after. The Singapore consulate advises going to the police first and then the card company.
4. Call 12345 if you are unsure which office to approach. The Shanghai public service hotline runs 24 hours a day in Chinese and 18 foreign languages including English, and takes complaints and suggestions. It is not an emergency line.
5. Contact your embassy or consulate if you need help with the police, lost documents or money. Their numbers are on their websites.

Small print

The tea, bar and taxi patterns come from a consulate advisory dated 2016 and from Shanghai government anti-fraud advice, not from a count of what happens today. We name no venues. If you meet something not covered here, the same rule works: do not follow strangers, agree the price first, and pay only through channels you chose. For staying safe on arrival, see Arriving in Shanghai.