Avoiding Taxi Scams in China: A Guide for Foreign Tourists

Generated: 2026-07-22 | Evidence: 8 records | Sources: stackexchange(8)

Summary

Foreign tourists in China should be aware of common taxi scams, especially unlicensed 'black cabs' that overcharge or use rigged meters. Stick to official taxis and use ride-hailing apps to avoid being cheated.

Contents

1. Beware of 'Black Cabs' (Unlicensed Taxis)
2. Use Official Taxis and Ride-Hailing Apps
3. Handle Aggressive Touts

1. Beware of 'Black Cabs' (Unlicensed Taxis)

Beware of 'Black Cabs' (Unlicensed Taxis)

When hailing a taxi in China, especially in major cities like Shenzhen, be on high alert for unlicensed vehicles known as "black cabs" (hei che 黑车). These illicit taxis pose a significant risk to foreign tourists, with common scams including upfront fare demands of 5–10 times the normal rate and rigged meters that overcharge. A local Shenzhen native warns:

"It happens that I am a native of Shenzhen, and indeed we avoid those 'illicit vehicles' (or 'black cabs', hei che 黑车 in Chinese) at all costs. The perceived risk is that they might demand exorbitant fees from you when you eventually arrive, or are half-way." (Source: Stack Exchange)

How to Spot a Black Cab

• Aggressive solicitation: Avoid any driver who approaches you aggressively, follows you, or tries to pull you away from a legitimate taxi queue. One traveler reported being aggressively followed by a tout at a train station:

  "This guy was trying to sell you transportation service. This is a very popular way for people with cars... He followed you around to pester you into buying a ride." (Source: Stack Exchange)

• Fake meters: Some black cabs have fake meters that run much faster than normal. At Luohu station in Shenzhen, drivers parked near the official queue will claim their taxi is metered too, but locals avoid them even when the regular queue is long. (Source: Stack Exchange)

• Upfront pricing: Legitimate taxis use meters. If a driver demands a flat fee upfront—especially one that seems 5–10 times higher than expected—refuse and walk away.

What to Do

• Use official taxi queues: Always join the designated taxi line at airports, train stations, and bus terminals. Do not accept rides from drivers who approach you outside the queue.
• Check for a license plate and taxi sign: Licensed taxis have clear, official markings. If in doubt, ask your hotel or a local to help identify a legitimate cab.
• Use ride-hailing apps: Apps like Didi Chuxing (available in English) are safer alternatives, as they provide fixed pricing and driver details.

Note: Limited data on black cab scams in other Chinese cities, but the same precautions apply nationwide. If a situation feels off, trust your instincts and find another ride. (Source: Stack Exchange)

2. Use Official Taxis and Ride-Hailing Apps

Use Official Taxis and Ride-Hailing Apps

Getting around China by taxi is convenient, but you must be vigilant to avoid scams. The golden rule: only take taxis with a proper license and a working meter, and prefer ride-hailing apps for transparent pricing.

Avoid "Black Cabs" (黑车, hēi chē)

Illicit, unlicensed taxis are a known risk, especially in cities like Shenzhen. A local Shenzhen native warns:

"It happens that I am a native of Shenzhen, and indeed we avoid those 'illicit vehicles' (or 'black cabs', hei che 黑车 in Chinese) at all costs. The perceived risk is that they might demand exorbitant fees from you when you eventually arrive, or are half-way." (Source: Stack Exchange)

These "black cabs" come in two main types:

1. Unlicensed cabs that demand 5–10 times the normal fare upfront.
2. Fake metered taxis that use rigged meters to overcharge you. (Source: Stack Exchange)

Actionable tip: At busy transport hubs like Shenzhen's Luohu Station, drivers may approach you in the queue, claiming their taxi is also metered. Locals avoid these even when the regular queue is long. (Source: Stack Exchange) Always join the official taxi queue and ignore drivers who solicit you directly.

Use Ride-Hailing Apps for Safety and Transparency

The safest and most transparent option is to use a ride-hailing app like Didi (the Chinese equivalent of Uber). Didi provides upfront pricing, so you know the fare before you ride, and you can track your route. To use it, download the app and register with your phone number. The interface is in Chinese, but many drivers are familiar with foreign passengers. Note: Limited data on this point regarding English-language support, but the app is widely used by locals and expats.

If Hailing on the Street: Check the Meter

If you must hail a taxi on the street, follow these steps:

• Ensure the driver starts the meter immediately after you get in. If they refuse or try to negotiate a flat fee, get out and find another taxi.
• Watch for scams. At Luohu Station, a traveler reported a driver swapping a real 100 RMB note with a fake one, pretending the customer's note was counterfeit. (Source: Stack Exchange) To avoid this, pay with exact change or use a mobile payment app like Alipay or WeChat Pay if possible.

Summary checklist:

• ✅ Use Didi for transparent pricing.
• ✅ Only take taxis from official queues.
• ✅ Confirm the meter is running before the ride starts.
• ✅ Avoid drivers who approach you outside the queue.

By following these rules, you'll minimize the risk of overcharging or fraud. (Source: Stack Exchange)

3. Handle Aggressive Touts

Handle Aggressive Touts

In busy transport hubs like Shenzhen’s Luohu Station, you may encounter persistent touts offering unlicensed rides or "black cabs" (hei che 黑车). These individuals can be aggressive, but the best response is simple: firmly say "no" and walk away without engaging.

"It happens that I am a native of Shenzhen, and indeed we avoid those 'illicit vehicles' (or 'black cabs', hei che 黑车) at all costs." (Source: Stack Exchange)

Do not negotiate or accept rides from unlicensed drivers. According to local reports, these touts often demand 5–10 times the normal fare upfront, or use fake metered taxis to overcharge you. In one documented scam, a taxi driver at Luohu Station swapped a passenger’s real 100 RMB note with a counterfeit one, pretending the customer’s note was fake. (Source: Stack Exchange)

If a tout follows you or becomes intimidating, seek help immediately from hotel staff or police. Hotel concierges are trained to handle such situations and can call a licensed taxi for you. Police in major cities are generally responsive to tourist complaints, though note that procedures may vary by district. (Source: Stack Exchange)

Key tips:

• Use only official taxi queues or ride-hailing apps (e.g., Didi) to avoid scams.
• If you must take a street taxi, insist on using the meter (dǎ biǎo 打表) and check that the driver resets it to the starting fare.
• Never hand over your money until you have confirmed the correct change—scammers may try to swap notes.

Note: Limited data on tout behavior outside of Shenzhen, but similar risks exist in other major transport hubs.

Real Traveler Stories

Story #1 (null)

Tonight is my fifth night in China, I've only been in non-tourist places so far where I've seen no other westerners. I'm hitchhiking from the very south to the very north so it's fairly important to have a decent online map. I don't have a smartphone or tablet, just a netbook running Windows.

Google Maps suffers from "My Location" always being wrong by about a couple of hundred metres. I believe this is related to China giving false GPS coordinates to foreign companies, or something l ... (truncated, full text at source)

Source: stackexchange

Story #2 (Shanghai)

For the past 15 years, round-trip economy flights from San Fransisco to Shanghai have been close to $1000-1500 per person. Currently the summer prices are between $3500 and $4500 per person. Looking at other destinations, I have not noticed any other region in the world having such a tremendous spike in the prices, but instead, average prices to other destinations around the world (e.g. Europe, the Middle East, Africa) seems lower than before, probably related to COVID-19. What explains why Chin ... (truncated, full text at source)

Source: stackexchange

Story #3 (Shenzhen)

It happens that I am a native of Shenzhen, and indeed we avoid those "illicit vehicles" (or "black cabs", hei che 黑车 in Chinese) at all costs.

The perceived risk is that they might demand exorbitant fees from you when you eventually arrive, or are half-way. Only God knows what will happen if you refuse to pay them anyway. It might be keeping you inside the vehicle, throwing you off in the middle of nowhere, or even kidnapping, or even worse than that.

ADDENDUM: There are actually two types of ... (truncated, full text at source)

Source: stackexchange

Story #4 (Unknown)

IKeelYou's answer is excellent for the general case, but I'd like to add some specifics, since you mention this is in China.

This guy was trying to sell you transportation service. This is a very popular way for people with cars to make money, because just getting tags (i.e. current stickers, registration, license plates, etc.) is both expensive and difficult, easily costing ten to fifty thousand yuan, plus there are a limited number available. That's just tags, mind, so it's on top of the cost ... (truncated, full text at source)

Source: stackexchange

Story #5 (Unknown)

It is extremely difficult to do what you want to do. It is not impossible but the bureaucracy is going to be a nightmare. In China, if an official has the power to grant you a licence, it does not mean he will grant that licence. Each city, or even each police district will have its own rules. Or more likely, when faced with a new situation and novel request, just make up the rules on the spot.

If the official doesn't know the rules, he won't go and look them up. Instead he will just say, "No. ... (truncated, full text at source)

Source: stackexchange

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This guide was auto-generated from 8 real traveler experiences. Operation steps marked [需人工核查] require manual verification before publishing.

Cities mentioned: null, Shanghai, Shenzhen

Last updated: 2026-07-22