'I thought it was $200': Singapore tourist claims mother-daughter pair lured her into paying $1,900 for TCM herb in China

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.