A group of Filipino tourists in Beijing, China, were duped into buying PHP1 million (US$19,044) worth of jewelry that turned out to be fake.
According to the group, their tour package had a day allotted for shopping at shops selling jewelry and alternative medicines. The group said jewelry was being offered at a discounted price and was backed up with a “certificate of precious stone identification”, GMA News reported.
The group made their purchases believing that there was no problem. However, when they returned to the Philippines and had the jewelry checked, they discovered that the gems were made from glass and had fake documentation.
One of the victims said there was a penalty if they didn’t enter the store that was part of their tour package. The group said they will not file a case against their travel agency, but they wanted to warn other tourists to be cautious when buying things in other countries.
The group also urged their travel agency and tour guide to give detailed reminders in their tour that can be understood by fellow Filipinos.
This is not the first incident of Filipino tourists mistakenly buying fake jewelry. In May 2017, a Filipino man in China purchased “precious” stones costing over PHP1 million that turned out to be fake.
The Chinese are very honest people, after all they vote for the CCP.
The Chinese are very honest people, after all they vote for the CCP.