If a stranger demands money in a remote area, hand over cash, avoid any confrontation, note their features, and call police after escaping

36. If a stranger demands money in a remote area, hand over cash, avoid any confrontation, note their features, and call police after escaping

Cost: The cash you have on you. The real challenge is keeping your temper in check.

In plain terms: Give him the money, do not fight back, and do not argue. By demanding a few hundred yuan, he is committing robbery — a crime punishable by at least three years up to ten years in prison. If he enters a residence, uses a weapon, or causes serious injury or death, the sentence rises to ten years or more, even life imprisonment or death. If you chase after him and strike him after he has taken the money, that is no longer considered self‑defence. Immediately after escaping, write down his appearance, accent, vehicle license plate, and the direction he fled, then call 110.

Benefit: Your life is far more valuable than a few hundred yuan. The offender is committing a serious crime for such a small amount. Article 263 of the Criminal Law states that anyone who robs public or private property by violence, coercion, or other means faces three to ten years in prison plus a fine; aggravating circumstances raise the penalty to ten years or more, even death. Article 20 limits self‑defence to stopping an ongoing unlawful attack; once the robber has taken the money and walked away, any retaliation is no longer justified. After escaping, record his description, speech patterns, vehicle details, and escape route, then call 110.

Evidence grade: C

Sources: National People's Congress (amended in 2020). Criminal Law (Article 20, Article 263). <https://jtgl.beijing.gov.cn/jgj/jgxx/flfg/fl/11033925/index.html> (Reprinted and integrated text by Beijing Municipal Public Security and Traffic Management Bureau)

Notes: The “C” rating reflects the lack of direct literature supporting the principle that “handing over money avoids danger”; the legal text merely outlines the offender’s risks and your boundaries. Never follow an attacker to a secluded spot to “get money,” never reveal your phone password, and never get into his vehicle. This advice is not an invitation to fight or to refrain from calling police; it applies only when you are physically threatened in a remote setting and must first pay to ensure your safety. In contrast, if someone online threatens to release private photos or videos, you must never pay — see Section 8, Item 32 for those cases.