Hi guys - just wanting advice as to whether I was nearly scammed.
I was drinking a coffee in my hotel lobby in Myeongdong when a lady appearing in her mid-30’s with a Chinese accent approached me and asked if I spoke English.
She then told me that she is a Canadian student from the University of Sydney, and landed in Seoul yesterday only to find out that her Canadian card does not work here. She asked if I could buy her noodles from a nearby restaurant, and also mentioned they had wifi which she needed. Without prompting, she showed me an old looking passport in a plastic slip.
I obliged and walked with her to the restaurant, where she asked me if I had any cash. Upon telling her I didn’t, she asked if I had WhatsApp, and I added her. I paid for her noodles and then told her I needed to leave.
Is this a known scam, or was she potentially just a very unlucky traveller? She looked somewhat dishevelled, and her story seems all over the place. She also had a plastic binder, and showed me “artwork made by her friend in Korea.” The noodles were only 10,500KRW, but I figure the main scam would be her asking for money after somewhat gaining my trust.