Common Scams & How to Avoid Them in Dali, China

1. Golden Temple Scam

Scammers offer 'gold' leaves for a donation at the Golden Temple. The gold is actually plastic.

Fake Gold Leaves: The 'gold' leaves offered are fake and made of plastic.
Aggressive Approach: Scammers can be aggressive in trying to sell the fake gold leaves.
Donation Boxes: Legitimate donation boxes are available at the temple for real donations.

Markets selling counterfeit goods may offer deals that seem too good to be true.

Counterfeit Goods: Goods being sold are often counterfeit or low-quality versions.
Pushy Salespeople: Salespeople can be pushy and aggressive in trying to sell the goods.
Fake Quality Guarantee: Scammers may offer a fake quality guarantee or warranty.

Some taxis may overcharge tourists for rides. This is particularly common late at night.

Overcharging: Taxis may charge tourists more than the standard fare.
Late Night Overcharging: Overcharging is more common late at night when there are fewer passengers.
Meter Tampering: Some taxis may tamper with the meter to increase the fare.

Some street food vendors may use contaminated ingredients or not cook food properly, leading to food poisoning.

Contaminated Ingredients: Ingredients used by some vendors may be contaminated.
Uncooked Food: Food may not be cooked properly, increasing the risk of foodborne illnesses.
Symptoms: Symptoms include stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Unlicensed tour guides may offer their services, but provide poor or misleading information.

Unlicensed Guide: The guide is not licensed and may not have the necessary knowledge.
Misinformation: The guide may provide misleading or incorrect information about Dali.
Overcharging: The guide may overcharge for their services.

Some tea houses may add extra charges to the bill without the customer's knowledge.

Hidden Charges: Extra charges are added to the bill without the customer's knowledge.
Pushy Service Charge: Service charge may be pushed onto the customer unexpectedly.
High Prices: Prices at these tea houses are often higher than average.

Pickpockets operate in crowded areas like markets and tourist attractions.

Crowded Areas: Pickpockets often target crowded areas.
Distraction Techniques: Pickpockets may use distraction techniques to steal from unsuspecting victims.
Valuables Targeted: Valuables such as wallets, phones, and jewelry are targeted.

Scammers may offer to exchange currency at a better rate than legitimate exchange booths.

Better Rate Scam: The scammer offers a better exchange rate than legitimate exchange booths.
Counterfeit Money: Scammers may give counterfeit money in return for your genuine currency.
Unlicensed Exchange Booths: The exchange booth is unlicensed and not regulated.

Some accommodations may overbook rooms, leaving tourists without a place to stay.

Overbooking: The accommodation books more rooms than they have available.
Last-Minute Cancellation: Rooms are often cancelled at the last minute, leaving tourists without a place to stay.
Alternative Accommodation: Scammers may offer alternative, often more expensive, accommodations.

Some ticket sellers may sell fake or counterfeit tickets for attractions and events.

Fake or Counterfeit Tickets: The tickets sold are either fake or counterfeit.
High Prices: Prices for these tickets are often higher than the standard fare.
Unauthorized Sellers: Tickets are sold by unauthorized vendors, not at official ticket booths.

Scammers may stage accidents to distract tourists and steal their belongings.

Staged Accident: The accident is staged to distract tourists.
Distraction Technique: The scammer creates a distraction while stealing from the tourist.
Valuables Targeted: Valuables such as wallets, phones, and jewelry are targeted.

Scammers may install skimmers on ATMs to steal card information.

Skimmer Installation: A device is installed on the ATM to capture card information.
Camera Surveillance: Cameras may be used to record PIN numbers.
Withdrawal without Permission: Money is withdrawn from the account without the cardholder's permission.

Thieves may target luggage left unattended in public areas.

Unattended Luggage: The luggage is left unattended in a public area.
Distraction Techniques: Thieves may use distraction techniques to steal the luggage.
Valuables Stolen: Valuables such as laptops, cameras, and jewelry are often stolen.

Public Wi-Fi networks may be set up to capture personal information.

Unsecure Wi-Fi Network: The Wi-Fi network is not secure, allowing data to be captured.
Data Collection: Personal information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card numbers can be collected.
Phishing Emails: Phishing emails may be sent to steal additional information.

Some rickshaws may overcharge tourists for rides or take a longer route.

Overcharging: Tourists are charged more than the standard fare.
Longer Route: The rickshaw driver may take a longer route to increase the fare.
Unlicensed Rickshaws: The rickshaw is unlicensed and not regulated.