FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Chinese "tea ceremony" scam, "see my art" and other scams
Old May 24, 2013 | 5:11 pm
  #550  
anacapamalibu
Ambassador: China
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Malibu Inferno Ground Zero
Programs: UA AA CO
Posts: 4,836
Originally Posted by yucci18
I am not sure if this is a new one.. but i can't find any reference to it and nearly got scammed... so be careful....

I was walking alone Nanjin Road with my partner, sightseeing of course. We saw a group of people are taking pictures (5 of them and one of them was holding the camera). When we walked pass them, the one holding the camera said 'excuse me, can you take a picture for us?'
So my partner and I stopped and ready to help them to take a picture. When he handed over the camera, i saw that the camera was not on (he was stilling holding it at that time...). Then another foreigner walked pass my partner and told him 'it is a scam... just leave'. So we left.

Come to think about it... it is strange that they said 'excuse me' and stopped us instead of MANY MANY Chinese people around... when we were on our way back to the hotel, they were still there taking pictures.... They could have dropped the camera and said we are the one who broke it... they could have given us an already broken camera and said we broke it... and all 6 of them would be onto you (note that they may also take that opportunity to steal your wallet...)
The scam doesn't attempt to get money by any fake damage to the camera.
It is merely to instill confidence as in "con", inorder to lead to tea, art, girl
scam.

The confidence is to allow an unknown person to take your camera, they obviously trust you. Hence, you should trust them. Next you get ripped off.
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