Pengci

Pengci (碰瓷) is a Chinese term referring to a specific type of fraud or scam. It involves deliberately staging an accident or other incident to extort money from an innocent party. The term literally translates to "touching porcelain," alluding to an earlier form of the scam where a person would intentionally break an expensive porcelain item and then claim that another person was responsible, demanding compensation.

In its modern usage, pengci most commonly involves staging traffic accidents. A perpetrator might intentionally cause a minor collision, feign injuries, and then demand a large sum of money from the other driver to avoid reporting the incident to the police or insurance companies. This exploitation of the fear of bureaucratic complications and potential legal repercussions is a key element of the scam.

Pengci scams are not limited to vehicular accidents. They can also occur in public places, involving claims of being bumped into, tripped over, or otherwise harmed by another person. The perpetrators often target elderly or vulnerable individuals.

The prevalence of pengci has led to increased awareness and distrust among the Chinese public. Dashcams are now widely used in vehicles as a means of providing evidence against fraudulent claims. The government has also taken steps to crack down on pengci, increasing penalties for perpetrators and launching public awareness campaigns. Despite these efforts, pengci remains a significant problem in China.