A Chinese student who was a victim of ‘cyber kidnapping’ has been found in rural Utah, unharmed. The 17-year-old, Kai Zhuang, was reported missing on December 28. By the time the police traced him, his parents back in China had paid $80,000 in ransom.
The boy’s parents had informed his host school, in Utah’s Riverdale, that he appeared to have been kidnapped. The school then contacted the police. He was found in a tent about 40 km north of Brigham City, where he seems to have self-isolated. What is ‘cyber kidnapping’, and how does it work?
What is cyber kidnapping?
Cyber kidnapping refers to a crime where the ‘kidnappers’ convince their victim to hide, and then contact their loved ones for ransom. The victim is also made to send pictures that make it look like they are being held captive — showing them bound or gagged. These are then shared with the family. Both parties believe their loved ones will be harmed if they don’t do as the kidnappers ask.
The ‘kidnappers’, though not physically present, monitor the victim online through video-call platforms.
In the Utah boy’s case too, his parents were sent a picture indicating he had been kidnapped. The police believe he was being manipulated by the kidnappers since December 20. He was traced by analysing call data and bank records.
According to the FBI’s website, “Although virtual kidnapping takes on many forms, it is always an extortion scheme—one that tricks victims into paying a ransom to free a loved one they believe is being threatened with violence or death. Unlike traditional abductions, virtual kidnappers have not actually kidnapped anyone. Instead, through deceptions and threats, they coerce victims to pay a quick ransom before the scheme falls apart.”
Experts believe that with the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), such crimes can rise, as scammers can send people voice notes that sound exactly like a loved one in distress. Last year, an Arizona woman testified in the US Senate about receiving just such a call. When Jennifer DeStefano picked up a call from an unknown number, “her 15-year-old daughter”, crying, told her some “bad men” had her. A man then threatened her and demanded ransom. After she cut the call, she called up her daughter, and realised she was safe.
While there is no clear data yet on how many such crimes occur each year, law enforcement experts say they are on the rise.
A BBC report from July 2020 mentions that eight cases of cyber kidnap had been reported in Australia that year, all targeting Chinese students.
How to protect yourself?
Experts recommend being extra careful with calls from unknown numbers, though cyber criminals can also make it appear like they are calling from a loved one’s number.
Scammers can use data you have shared on social media to make their calls more convincing, so be careful of what you share about yourself and your children online, specially names, specific locations, pictures of your home, neighbourhood, or children’s school.
Experts also recommend checking up on your loved ones before making payments, and to approach the police.
