Compensation scams are common in China; a while ago I had a ringside seat for an elegantly executed example on the train from Hong Kong to Shenzhen.
The mark was a fat, middle-aged American with a young Thai girlfriend. In the usual melee getting on the train, a Chinese woman – the victim – fell over and accused him of pushing her. After a minute or so of exaggerated wailing, a young man – the enraged bystander – joined in the accusations. As the argument heated up, another man – the peacemaker – intervened and insisted that the best solution was to to call the police. He then quickly pulled the communication cord. The train stopped at the next station and a guard arrived.
The mark, his girlfriend, the victim, and the angry bystander continued their argument on the station platform. The peacemaker – despite being the one who pulled the communication cord, was allowed to stay on the train, but got off at the next station to rejoin his accomplices and repeat the trick.
In Hong Kong the aim is usually to extort money from the mark in return for not making a formal complaint. On the mainland, compensation crooks happily carry their scams to trial, confident that a corrupt or inept judge will find for them, especially if the defendant is a foreigner.
