Flew out of Beijing this afternoon after nine days and can confirm that this scam is alive and well.

As a middle aged white male travelling by himself they probably thought they had hit the jackpot. However, thanks to this site I knew about the scam and after a bit of chatting they got to the punch line and asked me to go for a drink.

I, feigning ignorance, asked if they were the people I had been warned about who took all my money? I then suggested that we speak to a friendly police man who could let me know they were good people as they said. It was funny to watch them run away.

A few tips, play along if you want but not too long, get rid of them and let them know you know what they are doing. I never gave my real name, always a fake one (too much Seinfeld?).

Always know where the police are if you do want to play along. In crowded places like Tiananmen Square they are everywhere and these scammers don't want to talk to them.

Credit to both my guide and hotel, they did warn me about these people and suggested I be very careful about going anywhere with them.

When I got tired of them I just called them immediately and told them I wasn't interested because I knew about their scam.

Having said that there are people who do genuinely want to practise their English and ask nothing but your time. So don't be too quick to judge. You may miss a wonderful experience talking to the locals.