I Fell For the Taxi Scam in China
I was new to China and still needed to learn.
When I first came to China in 2020, it was amid the initial spread of Covid-19, when all of China was in an extensive lockdown. Stores were closed, everyone was locked inside their apartment, and there was nothing to do.
Before coming to China, I was excited to get out of the country and see everything I could. Yet, due to the lockdowns, that were impossible. I didn’t have a bank account, a phone, or anything else. I could only visit my boss’ house to download some manga and shows whenever I was home alone.
While at my boss’ house, I decided to look for some friends online. I met a group of Chinese friends who invited me to their house for dinner. They gave me their address, which was 40 minutes away, and I had to figure out how to get there.
Oh yeah, I was also forbidden by my work to go out. Yet, I was brand new to the country and wanted to spread my wings. I made my way out to the main street of my neighborhood and waited for a taxi to pass me by.
The Taxi Scam
Now, before I get into the actual scam, this was majorly my fault. With hindsight, I can see that I ultimately set myself up for failure before leaving my house.
I brought a single 100 RMB bill along with two twenty RMB bills. I left my apartment at 8:00 PM, right about when taxi prices rose due to the time of night. Taxi payments are usually handled with WeChat or Alipay, never cash. However, those apps weren't an option because I didn’t have a bank account.
Perhaps the driver knew I didn’t know what I was doing, as the driver turned from forty minutes to over an hour. Once I finally arrived, he asked for 60 RMB. Yet, I only have two twenties and a hundred. You can probably see where this is going.
He said he “didn’t have a change,” but I had to pay. In a translator, he said he would call the cops if I didn’t pay the total amount. Due to being new in China and not knowing anyone, I had to give up the 100 RMB with no change.
I thought this was a one-off occurrence due to my negligence, but according to many of my expat friends, it’s also happened to them.
This is just one common scam, another being the famous “tea house scam” that I might expand upon with a future post.
Eventually, I got my bank account and online payments sorted out a month later. Either way, I learned my lesson and decided only to carry cash if anyone tried to pull something like this again.
How about you? Have you been scammed abroad? Perhaps the time you were scammed wasn’t because of yourself, like mine. Comment below so we can chat about it!
Did you enjoy this article? You can find more JUST like it on my Medium landing page, where I cover all things expat and China-related. I’m also a freelance copywriter; if you want to contact me about the services I offer, you can contact me via my portfolio website.
You may like these as well:
