A new criminal trend has emerged known as ‘cyber kidnapping’ that parents across the globe could fall victim to. Recently, a Chinese exchange student fell victim to the ‘cyber attacking’ scam in which his parents were extorted for $80,000 in the US.
The victim Kai Zhuang, 17, was reported missing by his high school last week in Utah and later found “very cold and scared” in a tent into the woods.
What is cyber kidnapping?
In the cyber kidnapping scam, a criminal tells a victim to isolate and provide pictures of oneself as if being held captive. The photos are then sent to the victim’s family to extort a payment.
The victims comply under the belief their family will otherwise be harmed. Perpetrators employ threats, isolation orders, video monitoring, and ransom demands to coerce families into compliance.
In the US, cyber kidnappers have been targeting foreign exchange students recently, in particular, Chinese foreign exchange students, and extorting huge amounts of money from parents.
Cyber kidnapping in the US
In the US, 17-year-old Kai Zhuang was reported missing last week in Riverdale, Utah.
The police initially said that they believed the student had been forcefully taken from his home. But on Sunday night they said he was found safe in a tent about 25 miles (40 kilometers) away from Riverdale in the Brigham City area.
He was convinced that his family in China was threatened and that he needed to isolate himself, according to police. It’s unclear how he received this information or why he was isolating himself.
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Meanwhile, his family had received a ransom note and photograph of the student that made it appear that he’d been abducted and was in danger. The family paid $80,000 in ransom before he was found.
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The Riverdale police collaborated with the FBI, the US embassy in China, and Chinese officials in the search for Zhuang.
How cyber kidnapping can be prevented?
Some of the measures people can take to protect themselves from cyber kidnapping are-
Once an emergency call or a message comes from home, it is recommended to verify the location of your loved ones.
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Families can come up with phrases or code words that perpetrators would not be aware of.
Law enforcement agencies and telecommunications companies must take stringent measures against such calls and messages.
People should be aware of how their personal information is public and remain vigilant.
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Published: 04 Jan 2024, 12:23 PM IST