'I thought it was $200': Singapore tourist claims mother-daughter pair lured her into paying $1,900 for TCM herb in China“我以为只要200美元”：新加坡游客称在中国被一对母女诱骗，花费1900美元购买中药材。
One moment, a woman was browsing a traditional Chinese medicine stall in China. The next, she found herself paying nearly $1,900 for a packet of powdered herbs.A Singaporean woman holidaying in Yunnan, China, has claimed she was pressured into making the purchase by a stall vendor, reported Shin Min Daily News.The 73-year-old, surnamed Li, said she encountered the alleged scam...
One moment, a woman was browsing a traditional Chinese medicine stall in China. The next, she found herself paying nearly $1,900 for a packet of powdered herbs.
A Singaporean woman holidaying in Yunnan, China, has claimed she was pressured into making the purchase by a stall vendor, reported Shin Min Daily News.
The 73-year-old, surnamed Li, said she encountered the alleged scam on Sept 3, the fifth day of a self-guided tour with her husband and four friends.
They had engaged a private-hire driver at a low price to tour the scenic Erhai Lake area in Dali city.
During a bathroom break, Li chanced upon the herbal medicine stall. She said she had no intention of buying any products.
But a mother-daughter pair, who were dressed classily, suddenly appeared at the stall and began talking about the purported benefits of Tibetan fritillary (Fritillaria cirrhosa), Li claimed.
She added that she also heard the duo say the herb had stopped a chronic cough and subsequently prevented them from falling ill.
Fritillaria cirrhosa is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat coughs, phlegm and other respiratory ailments.
'No chance to object'
According to Li, the duo began haggling with the vendor and asked that the herb be ground into powder before being weighed.
Li alleged that one of the women suddenly pointed at her and said one packet was hers. The packet weighed more than 1kg and purportedly cost 10,000 yuan (S$1,900).
She said the vendor pressured her to pay the amount, stating that the herb had already been ground into powder.
"I was just standing at the side and watching, I never imagined it would turn out this way," she told Shin Min.
"I didn't understand the exchange rate or the weight, and they just said it would cost 10,000 yuan.
"I felt like I was under a spell, I was confused about the exchange rate and thought it was $200 Singapore dollars, so I paid by card. They didn't even give me a chance to object."
After returning to the car, she told her husband about what happened and realised how much she had actually spent.
On Sept 14, Li returned to Dali city and lodged a police report the next day.
She told Shin Min that local police officers accompanied her and her husband to search for the herbal medicine vendor, but they were unable to locate the stall.
"We spent the whole morning searching to no avail. I was exhausted and could only give up," Li said.
Li, who returned to Singapore at the end of September, added that she has not consumed the powdered herb and plans to have it tested.
The woman warned fellow travellers, especially older tourists, to remain vigilant while overseas and advised those who feel pressured into making purchases to call the police immediately.
lim.kewei@asiaone.com
前一刻，一位女士还在中国一家中药摊位前闲逛。下一刻，她却发现自己花了近1900美元买了一包草药粉。
据《新明日报》报道，一名在云南度假的新加坡女子声称，她受到摊贩的压力才购买了商品。
这位 73 岁的李姓老人说，她在 9 月 3 日遇到了这起骗局，当时是她和丈夫以及四位朋友进行自助游的第五天。
他们以低价雇佣了一名私人司机，游览大理市洱海风景区。
李女士在去洗手间的时候偶然发现了这家中药摊。她说她原本并没有打算买任何东西。
李先生说，突然有一对穿着考究的母女出现在摊位前，开始谈论藏贝母（Fritillaria cirrhosa）的所谓益处。
她还说，她听到两人说这种草药止住了他们的慢性咳嗽，并因此防止了他们生病。
贝母（Fritillaria cirrhosa）在中医中常用于治疗咳嗽、化痰及其他呼吸系统疾病。
“没有反对的机会”
据李先生说，两人开始与摊贩讨价还价，并要求将草药磨成粉末后再称重。
李女士称，其中一名女子突然指着她说其中一个包裹是她的。该包裹重达1公斤多，据称价值1万元人民币（约合1900新元）。
她说，卖家强迫她支付货款，并声称草药已经磨成了粉末。
“我当时只是站在一旁看着，我做梦也没想到事情会变成这样，”她告诉《新明日报》。
“我不懂汇率，也不懂重量，他们就说要1万元人民币。”
“我当时感觉自己像中了魔法一样，汇率让我很困惑，我以为是200新加坡元，所以就刷卡付了款。他们甚至都没给我反对的机会。”
回到车上后，她把发生的事情告诉了丈夫，这才意识到自己实际花了多少钱。
9月14日，李某返回大理市，并于次日向警方报案。
她告诉《新明日报》，当地警察陪同她和丈夫寻找卖草药的摊贩，但他们没能找到那个摊位。
“我们找了一上午都没找到。我筋疲力尽，只能放弃了。”李说。
李女士于九月底返回新加坡，她补充说自己尚未服用这种草药粉末，并计划进行检测。
该女子提醒其他旅行者，尤其是年长的游客，在海外旅行时要保持警惕，并建议那些感到被迫购物的人立即报警。
lim.kewei@asiaone.com