A bearded man who passed himself off as being from the Middle East was caught selling fake cameras resembling a popular foreign brand on Tuesday, reports China News Service.

Urban management officers found the man peddling cameras at a flyover on Xuyuan Road. In order to sound "foreign", he would mumble "Japanese, Olympus" to passers-by.

According to the officers, the brand name on the cameras read "Olympal", not "Olympus".

The man later confessed that he was from the nearby city of Tianjin. As he had a full beard, he was able to get away with the impersonation. He had sold five cameras for 300 yuan (US$36) each over two days.

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