China Scams: Tourist, Online & Investment Fraud Guide
Common scams targeting tourists and residents in China, including online fraud, investment schemes, and counterfeit goods, with guidance on reporting through official channels.
Emergency number: 110 (police), 96110 (anti-fraud hotline) — verify on official sources.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026
China has one of the world's most active online-fraud landscapes, and the biggest scams have well-known local names. The 'guess who I am' (cai cai wo shi shei) phone scam has a caller pose as an old friend or relative, let the victim supply the name, then borrow money for a sudden emergency. Impersonation of the police, procuratorate and courts — the so-called 'gong-jian-fa' script — remains the most damaging pattern: victims are told their identity was used in a money-laundering case and are walked into moving their savings to a 'safe account' for verification. Parcel and customs impersonation, fake Taobao or JD customer-service refund calls, and predatory loan-app scams round out the phone-fraud picture.
Because daily life runs on WeChat Pay and Alipay, payment fraud follows those rails. Swapped merchant QR codes in shops and on shared bikes divert payments to fraudsters, phishing pages harvest payment passwords, and 'shua dan' brushing jobs — fake order-boosting work that pays small commissions before demanding ever larger top-ups — are among the most common task scams. Pig-butchering operations groom victims on dating apps and WeChat toward rigged trading platforms, while tourists still meet the classic tea-house and 'art student' invitations near major attractions, ending in an inflated bill or a pressured purchase.
China has invested heavily in anti-fraud infrastructure: the 96110 hotline warns potential victims and takes reports, the National Anti-Fraud Centre app screens calls and flags suspicious apps, and banks coordinate rapid freezes of mule accounts. Speed is decisive — call 96110 and your bank the moment money moves, and report inside Alipay or WeChat Pay's own security centre as well.
Common scams
- Pig-butchering crypto and investment scams
- Online shopping fraud and counterfeit goods
- Impersonation of government or bank officials
- Fake job and task-based income schemes
Tourist-specific scams
- Tea house and art gallery overcharging scams
- Fake or overpriced 'cultural' experience tours
- Counterfeit goods sold as authentic
- Taxi overcharging and unlicensed drivers
Online shopping scams
- Fake e-commerce shops on social platforms
- Phishing messages impersonating banks or government
- QR code redirect scams leading to fraudulent payment pages
Job scams
- 'Shua dan' brushing scams paying small commissions then demanding deposits
- Fake overseas employment offers via WeChat or Telegram
- Typing, voice-over and 'click farm' part-time jobs that require paid 'membership' upgrades
Romance scams
- Dating-app grooming leading to fraudulent crypto investment platforms
- Long-distance relationship manipulation with escalating money requests
- Wealthy 'mentor' personas on WeChat introducing rigged trading apps
Investment scams
- Pig-butchering schemes combining romance with fake trading platforms
- Fraudulent wealth-management products promising high guaranteed returns
- 'Insider stock tip' groups on social and short-video platforms steering members into rigged apps
How to report a scam here
- Call the National Anti-Fraud hotline 96110 immediately if money has just moved — it can coordinate rapid freezes with banks
- Contact your bank's official fraud hotline to block further transactions
- Report online fraud through your local Public Security Bureau or via the National Police website at mps.gov.cn
- Preserve screenshots, chat logs, transaction records, and wallet addresses as evidence
Local reporting & protection links
Always verify reporting routes and emergency contacts on the official government or agency website for your country.
Bank & payment guidance
The 96110 hotline is the fastest route to a bank freeze after fraud, so call it within minutes of realising money has gone, and call your bank as well. Use your bank's official app or the number on the back of the card, never one supplied by whoever contacted you. Say that you were deceived into making the transfer, ask for the receiving account to be reported, and keep any reference number. If the payment went through Alipay or WeChat Pay, also report it inside the app's own security centre — in-app reports can trigger holds on the receiving wallet faster than a phone call — and freeze your wallet while credentials are reset. If you shared a payment code or password, or scanned a QR code, mention it and have those credentials changed. Foreign visitors who paid by international card should additionally contact their home card issuer about a chargeback.
Evidence to preserve
- Screenshot all messages, profiles, websites and payment pages
- Save transaction references, account numbers and crypto wallet addresses
- Keep emails with full headers where possible
- Note dates, times, names and phone numbers used
Frequently asked questions
What is the 96110 hotline in China?
The 96110 hotline is China's national anti-fraud telephone service operated by the Ministry of Public Security. It provides fraud warnings, advice, and can coordinate with banks to freeze transfers suspected to be fraudulent.
What is the 'guess who I am' scam in China?
A caller greets you warmly and asks 'guess who I am?', letting you volunteer the name of a friend or relative. Once you supply it, the caller assumes that identity and soon asks for an urgent loan — an accident, a detention, a business emergency. Verify any such request through a number or channel you already have before sending anything.
Are QR code payment scams common in China?
Yes. Fraudsters swap merchant QR codes so payments land in their own accounts, and circulate QR codes that authorise transfers rather than payments. Check the merchant name Alipay or WeChat Pay displays before confirming, and never scan codes sent by strangers to 'verify' or 'unfreeze' anything.
Sources
- National police and cybercrime portals (verify on official sites)
- FTC / Action Fraud / Scamwatch consumer guidance