Welcome to the scam zone.
In China there has been a recent scam of people dressed in professional clothes, with professional looking signs, and nice name tags claiming to work for a taxi company or even the airport that ask people if they need taxis. These people DO NOT WORK for a company at all.
These guys are "runners" who go out to get clients. Another person sits in a car in the airport parking lot to wait for a call from them. Once they get the call, they drive down, and take the client to the hotel they want but they will charge you, no joke, over 100% of what it really should cost.
Last year I fell for the scam and have even watched a few YouTube videos of people getting trapped into the scam (they were in Europe). For myself, I have taken Didi (Chinese Uber) out of the airport before and even the Chinese purple taxis (yes they are purple in China) but when I was walking out of the airport this guy in a suit, with an embossed leather binder with a hotel name on it, and a brass name tag asked passerby's if they needed a taxi. My hotel was only a few blocks away but I had a large bag. I said I would go with him and heck, he even spoke English! I knew something was wrong once we started walking towards the parking lot exit and not the taxi exit. When I asked why we were walking that way, he explained that his taxi guy had to park because he had been there a while. Once the car pulled up my heart sank.
It was a black car.
The Black Car Phenomena is something that a lot of my co-workers warned me about. In the 1980s there was a kidnapping surge where people claimed to be taxis and when they got inside, they wouldn't come back out. Usually the cars were black hence the name. You can read about it here and here.
I was debating if I should get in the car or not. But then I realized that there was a driver, a person in the front seat, and the "runner" were all around me.
Did I really have a choice?
Sitting in the taxi was stress-inducing to say the least, I don't think I took a breath. All three guys were in the car with me, talking fast in Chinese. The runner was on the phone talking to someone else. When we reached my hotel I finally took a breath. It was then that they charged me. Usually a taxi ride from the airport to my hotel should cost around 30 RMB.
This group of men charged me 200 RMB.
I was surprised to see ANOTHER one of their guys at the hotel. The guy on the other end of the phone call. That is now four men asking for 200 RMB and I am maybe 30 steps from my hotel. Without hesitating I take out my wallet and pay and we split ways.
This wasn't the last time I encountered these guys. When I landed in Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, and even my town Jiaxing there have been these crappy people (both men and women but mostly men) claiming to have a taxi or didi right outside. They all speak English. Most of them wear suits. All of them are fake.
Here are a few things to consider when getting into an unfamiliar taxi.
1. What color are the taxis in this country? (America-yellow. Britain-black. China-purple.)
2. Is there public transport you can take? It is usually cheaper than a taxi and safer.
3. Is there a designated area for taxis to go? Airports I have been to have a line outside specifically just for taxis. There is a long line you can pick from.
4. Why is this person saying they have a taxi/uber/didi in the airport instead of being in their vehicle?
5. Is the taxi's meter working? Is the light on the taxi working? Is there an ID in the car?
6. How much is a taxi in this area usually? Ask the driver before getting in!!!
Here is a website with other tips.
If these guys approach you, don't look at them. Don't talk to them. Keep walking. Heck, speak in gibberish to them so they think you speak some weird language. Just don't confront them and don't get roped in.
I hope this was helpful. Keep your money and yourself safe when traveling abroad.
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