What's the biggest scam to avoid in Hong Kong?

The Nathan Road / Tsim Sha Tsui tailor and electronics-shop scams are the most reliably reported. Street touts offering "cheap suits" or "discount cameras" lead to no-name shops with wildly inflated prices and bait-and-switch tactics — reputable Hong Kong tailors (Sam's Tailor, A-Man Hing Cheong, W.W. Chan) take measurements by appointment and post prices online. For cameras and lenses, use Tin Cheung or Wing Shing Photo on Sai Yeung Choi Street, or buy at the airport on departure. Also avoid fake monks soliciting donations in tourist areas (genuine HK Buddhist monks don't solicit on the street), and always pay in HKD on card terminals (never "your home currency" via dynamic currency conversion).

Common Tourist Scams in Hong Kong (and How to Avoid Them)

By The Kakapo Editorial Team · Last updated 2026-05-21 · Part of the Hong Kong safety guide

Scams + the Tsim Sha Tsui tailor / camera-shop routine

Tsim Sha Tsui tailor + electronics tout: men hanging around Nathan Road approach tourists with "Tailor? Suits? Cheap watch?" The pitches lead to no-name shops with wildly inflated prices + hard-sell tactics. Reputable Hong Kong tailors (Sam's Tailor, A-Man Hing Cheong, W.W. Chan) take measurements by appointment, post prices online, and don't tout on the street.
"Discount camera / lens" shops on Nathan Road: the famous scam — bait-and-switch, the "discount" price applies to a body without battery/lens/warranty. Use established stores (Tin Cheung, Wing Shing Photo on Sai Yeung Choi Street, or HMV) or buy at the airport on departure.
Pickpocketing in MTR rush hour: low rate but real on Tsuen Wan + Island lines during 08:00-09:30 and 18:00-19:30.
Restaurant menu without English / price posting: a few tourist-strip places in TST charge HK$200-400 for noodle dishes that are HK$50-80 anywhere else. Ask for the menu with English + prices before sitting.
Counterfeit ATMs: rare. Stick to bank-branded ATMs (HSBC, Hang Seng, Standard Chartered, Bank of China HK) inside the bank lobby.
Card-terminal DCC: always pay in HKD, never "your home currency".
Fake monks soliciting donations: documented in TST + Mong Kok tourist areas. Genuine Hong Kong Buddhist monks don't solicit on the street.
Octopus card: the contactless smart card for MTR + buses + ferries + 7-Eleven + many other things. Buy at any MTR station (HK$150 with HK$50 deposit). The single best Hong Kong move.

FAQ

What's the biggest scam to avoid in Hong Kong?: The Nathan Road / Tsim Sha Tsui tailor and electronics-shop scams are the most reliably reported. Street touts offering "cheap suits" or "discount cameras" lead to no-name shops with wildly inflated prices and bait-and-switch tactics — reputable Hong Kong tailors (Sam's Tailor, A-Man Hing Cheong, W.W. Chan) take measurements by appointment and post prices online. For cameras and lenses, use Tin Cheung or Wing Shing Photo on Sai Yeung Choi Street, or buy at the airport on departure. Also avoid fake monks soliciting donations in tourist areas (genuine HK Buddhist monks don't solicit on the street), and always pay in HKD on card terminals (never "your home currency" via dynamic currency conversion).

Read the full Hong Kong safety guide — score breakdown, every neighbourhood, all 4 sources →

Live Hong Kong safety score (updates daily) →

Sources

Scores are the Kakapo Safety Index — compiled from government travel advisories and public crime, health and transit data. All data sources.