Question 1

What is the "Subway Pickpocket Teams" scam in Beijing?

Accepted Answer

On heavily used lines such as Line 1 through the Tiananmen–Wangfujing corridor and Line 10, coordinated pickpocket teams operate with one member creating a distraction while another removes valuables. Tourists are consistently targeted at major transit hubs during peak hours. Keep valuables in a front pocket or concealed money belt. Use a bag with zip closures worn on your front. Stay alert when boarding or alighting at crowded stations where passengers are pressed together.

Question 2

What is the "Fake Art Student Gallery" scam in Beijing?

Accepted Answer

Well-dressed young people near the Summer Palace and 798 Art District claim to be art students and invite tourists to their gallery show. Visitors are pressured into buying low-quality prints at massively inflated prices. Any unsolicited approach from "art students" near tourist areas is a scam. Legitimate galleries do not recruit customers from the street. Politely decline and keep walking.

Street Scams in Beijing

Subway Pickpocket Teams

Fake Art Student Gallery

Experienced a scam here?