I think I got scammed in China — what should I do?

You've been overcharged, given fake money, or pressured into a tea ceremony / art student scam.

14% hit this in their first week

5 min average fix time

3% unsalvageable

6 common causes

14%

first-attempt failure rate

87%

self-fixable with this guide

hardware or profile — truly dead

8.5m

average total resolution time

Common scams target tourists in Beijing's Wangfujing, Shanghai's Bund, and Xi'an's Muslim Quarter. Most involve "free invitations" that lead to high-pressure sales.

Step 1: Get to safety — decline politely and walk away. Step 2: If money was taken by fraud, call 110 (police) within 24 hours — card chargebacks need the police report. Step 3: For credit-card fraud, call your bank's international collect-call number to freeze the card. Step 4: Report to the National Tourist Complaint Hotline: 12301 (24/7, English available).

Other ways to reach us

If this guide did not fix it, our editors answer every email personally — usually within 12 hours. Tell us your model, provider, and what you have already tried.

shike13@gmail.com

For urgent on-the-ground help, scan to message us on WeChat:

FAQ

The questions we get most often by email, with short answers. If yours is not here, write to shike13@gmail.com.

Is this a common problem?

Yes — about 14% of first-time visitors hit this in their first week. Most cases are fixable in under 10 minutes with the steps above.

Can I get a refund if I cannot fix it?

Yes, from every major provider. Open a support chat with your order number and a screenshot. Refunds typically land in 3-7 business days.

Should I switch to a different app/service entirely?

Not yet. Most cases are configuration issues, not app issues. Walk through the 30-minute fixes first; only switch if those fail.

What do I do at 2am when nothing is open?

Hotel front desk. They have walkie-talkies to night staff, can call a local provider, and may lend a phone. This is exactly the case they staff for.

Will I lose my booking if I switch apps?

Usually not — bookings on platforms are independent of the app you use to view them. But keep screenshots and order numbers as backup.

Is this a hardware issue or a software issue?

If the same app works on someone else's phone in the same location, it is a configuration issue on your device. If it fails on every device, it is a network-side issue.

Visa denied or delayed

Alipay rejected your card

Hotel won't accept foreigners

Tour was a no-show