🚩 Local Scams · Tianjin
Last verified 26 Jul 2025
1 Scam Spotlight Table
"Haihe River VIP Cruise"
Riverside Square, Ancient Culture St. pier
How it works: Tout sells cash-only "upper-deck" tickets for ¥180 (real price ¥60) and hands you a counterfeit QR.
🛡️ Avoid: Buy on the 津游船 mini-prog (real-name, ¥60) or pier's yellow kiosks only.
Sea-Food "Price by Catty"
Tanggu Seafood St. · Binhai night wharfs
How it works: Stall quotes ¥58/kg for mantis shrimp, weighs on rigged scale, final bill triples.
🛡️ Avoid: Check price board, insist on re-weighing after cooked, pay after tasting.
"Italian-Town Leather Deals"
Italian Style Town arcades
How it works: Vendor swears bag is Italian calfskin, shows "duty-free" tag; PU replica marked 10× cost.
🛡️ Avoid: If you want a replica, bargain ≤ 20 % of opening price; real boutiques issue e-receipt & guarantee.
Goubuli Baozi "Set Menu"
Quanye Bazaar back-lanes
How it works: Host waves you into alley branch, promises 10-piece basket ¥25; sneaks on "service tea" + "heritage fee" → ¥120.
🛡️ Avoid: Eat only at flagship store (Zhongshan Rd.) or chain outlets; confirm quán jià (全价) upfront.
Taxi Flat-Rate Gouge
Tianjin Railway & Cruise Port ranks
How it works: Driver at Tianjin Station says "meter broken", demands ¥120 to Five-Avenue (meter ≈ ¥35).
🛡️ Avoid: Use meter-enforced taxi queue or DiDi; legitimate plates start "津B-T".
Ancient-Culture-Street Antiques
古文化街 (Guwenhua Jie) coin stalls
How it works: Shop owner stages "expert appraisal", hypes Qing coin value; identical coin sold next door ¥20.
🛡️ Avoid: Buy souvenirs, not investments; walk away from certificate talk.
Yangliuqing New-Year Prints "Museum Guide"
Yangliuqing Folk Art Museum gate
How it works: Fake guide charges ¥50 entry + "donation" to print workshop; real museum is free.
🛡️ Avoid: Official staff wear red badge + QR ID; entry free, optional shop inside.
Bike-Share QR Phish
Nankai Uni campus · Riverside bike docks
How it works: Sticker over blue 哈啰 bike code opens fake Pay page; empties wallet.
🛡️ Avoid: Peel sticker, scan code etched on bike frame; verify URL begins with h5.hello.
2 Why It Matters
Tianjin's port passenger flow and tourist clusters (Italian Town, Haihe cruises, seafood wharfs) create easy prey for over-weight seafood bills and fake upgrade tickets—most cons lean on cash-only pressure or QR fakery.
Port city dynamics – Tianjin's mix of cruise passengers and Beijing day-trippers creates rushed tourist behavior that scammers exploit.
Seafood market culture – Fresh seafood pricing by weight creates opportunities for scale manipulation and bill padding that tourists may not recognize.
Heritage brand exploitation – Famous Tianjin brands like Goubuli create trust that scammers abuse with fake branches and inflated "heritage fees."
3 Pro Tips
1
Official mini-programs only — Haihe Cruises, Museum bookings and metro rides each have verified apps; street QRs are suspect.
2
Know the meter — city taxis start at ¥10 + ¥2/km; ask driver to start meter (dǎ biǎo 打表).
3
Ask quán jià ma? (全价吗？) — locks restaurant into an all-inclusive price.
4
Carry small cash — ¥10–¥20 notes limit loss if QR fails or price inflates at night stall.
5
Hotlines — Police 110 • Tianjin tourist line 12301 — store both before venturing out.
✨ Stay Smart, Stay Safe
Stay sharp and keep Tianjin about river lights, baozi steam and cross-cultural skylines—No Tourist Traps. No BS.