A Chinese exchange student fell victim to a “cyber kidnapping” scam and $80,000 was extorted from his parents after which he was found alive but “cold and scared” in a tent located in the wilderness of Utah, said the police. 
 
17-year-old Kai Zhuang was reported missing on Thursday (Dec 28) after his parents – who are living in China – informed the officials at his host high school in Riverdale, Utah that they suspected their child had been kidnapped and a ransom demand had been made to them. 
 
The case continued on the typical pattern for cyber kidnapping in which the victim is asked by the “kidnappers” to isolate themselves and provide pictures of them as if being held captive. The photos then taken are sent to the victim’s family to extort a payment. Generally, the victims comply fearing that going against the kidnappers will harm their family members.

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After going through bank records, purchases and phone ping records in a search operation, the police were convinced that the boy was isolated in a tent some 40km (25 miles) north in a large area, close to Brigham City. 
 
“Due to the cold weather in Utah this time of year, we became additionally concerned for the victim’s safety in that he may freeze to death overnight,” said the Riverdale Police Department, in a press release after he was discovered Sunday (Dec 31).

<h2 lang="en-US">Kai found isolated in a tent</h2>

A sergeant – who was hiking on a mountainside – found Kai’s tent which did not have any heat source but only “a heat blanket, a sleeping bag, limited food and water and several phones that were presumed to be used to carry out the cyber kidnapping,” the department said. 
 
The detective said that he “contacted the victim inside the tent and found he was alive but very cold and scared”.

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After he was rescued, Kai “requested a warm cheeseburger” and spoke to his family, which had made the payment of US$80,000 to bank accounts in China when they were threatened, according to Riverdale police. 
 
The host family of Kai in Riverdale was initially unaware that the boy was missing and had last seen him in the kitchen in the early morning of the same day when he disappeared. According to the press release, Riverdale police worked along with the FBI, Chinese officials and the US embassy in China to find the missing teenager. 
 
Riverdale police said that the cyber kidnappers have been recently targeting foreign exchange students recently, and especially, Chinese foreign exchange students.

(With inputs from agencies)

A Chinese exchange student fell victim to a “cyber kidnapping” scam and $80,000 was extorted from his parents after which he was found alive but “cold and scared” in a tent located in the wilderness of Utah, said the police.

A Chinese exchange student fell victim to a “cyber kidnapping” scam and $80,000 was extorted from his parents after which he was found alive but “cold and scared” in a tent located in the wilderness of Utah, said the police. 17-year-old Kai Zhuang was reported missing on Thursday (Dec 28) after his parents – who are living in China – informed the officials at his host high school in Riverdale, Utah that they suspected their child had been kidnapped and a ransom demand had been made to them. The case continued on the typical pattern for cyber kidnapping in which the victim is asked by the “kidnappers” to isolate themselves and provide pictures of them as if being held captive. The photos then taken are sent to the victim’s family to extort a payment. Generally, the victims comply fearing that going against the kidnappers will harm their family members. Also read: China expels nine army officials from parliament in a sweeping reshuffle After going through bank records, purchases and phone ping records in a search operation, the police were convinced that the boy was isolated in a tent some 40km (25 miles) north in a large area, close to Brigham City. “Due to the cold weather in Utah this time of year, we became additionally concerned for the victim’s safety in that he may freeze to death overnight,” said the Riverdale Police Department, in a press release after he was discovered Sunday (Dec 31). Kai found isolated in a tent A sergeant – who was hiking on a mountainside – found Kai’s tent which did not have any heat source but only “a heat blanket, a sleeping bag, limited food and water and several phones that were presumed to be used to carry out the cyber kidnapping,” the department said. The detective said that he “contacted the victim inside the tent and found he was alive but very cold and scared”. Watch: Africa, Brazil to halt 'donkey skin trade' in major blow to supplies for Chinese medicine After he was rescued, Kai “requested a warm cheeseburger” and spoke to his family, which had made the payment of US$80,000 to bank accounts in China when they were threatened, according to Riverdale police. The host family of Kai in Riverdale was initially unaware that the boy was missing and had last seen him in the kitchen in the early morning of the same day when he disappeared. According to the press release, Riverdale police worked along with the FBI, Chinese officials and the US embassy in China to find the missing teenager. Riverdale police said that the cyber kidnappers have been recently targeting foreign exchange students recently, and especially, Chinese foreign exchange students. (With inputs from agencies)

A ‘cyber kidnapping’ scam left a Chinese exchange student freezing in Utah wilderness

A 17-year-old exchange student from China, Kai Zhuang, was recently cyber kidnapped in the United States, according to the police. Cyber kidnapping is a new criminal trend in which scammers extort vulnerable victims remotely and demand ransom money from their families.

A 17-year-old exchange student from China, Kai Zhuang, was recently cyber kidnapped in the United States, according to the police. Cyber kidnapping is a new criminal trend in which scammers extort vulnerable victims remotely and demand ransom money from their families. Zhuang's family in China reached out to his school in Utah to report that they received images of him that suggested someone had forcibly kidnapped him. However, Zhuang's host family in the US told the police that they had seen him earlier and were clueless about any forcible kidnapping. After receiving continuous threats about Zhuang's safety from the scammer, his family paid around $80,000 in ransom money to a Chinese bank account. Meanwhile, the scammers threatened Zhuang for about a month, asking him to comply with their demands or they would harm his family in China. They ordered him to isolate himself in the wilderness and send photos to his parents that looked like he was kidnapped. However, the Riverdale police rescued him from the woods. ALSO READ | After Elon Musk's takeover, X has lost 71 per cent of its value: Report Cyber kidnapping has become a growing concern in the US, as several other regions have reported such incidents. What is cyber kidnapping? Like other online frauds, cyber kidnapping has become a growing digital crime. In cyber kidnapping, online attackers target victims and force them into isolating themselves to demand ransom from their families. They monitor the victims through video chat and use pictures captured by them in isolated conditions to extort money from their families. Some scammers have also started using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to mimic the victim's voice. Foreign exchange students, especially those from China, are more at risk than others. How can you protect yourself from cyber kidnapping? In case any cyber kidnapper tries to contact you, immediately inform the police and end communication from your end. Also, never send money to the perpetrators. Like scams and phishing, one can prevent cyber crimes by being aware. The United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has advised people to protect themselves from cyber kidnapping in the following ways: Use additional security apps and multi-factor authentication to protect your sensitive information. Update your software regularly and add malware protection to your devices. Do not click on any suspicious pop-up ads or links sent in emails from untrusted sources. Use strong passwords to protect your accounts from hackers, and do not share confidential information with anyone. Use a password manager to keep things organised. (With inputs from agencies)

What is cyber kidnapping? How to protect yourself from the ‘disturbing criminal trend’?

In a tent in the Utah desert, a Chinese exchange student who was the victim of a "cyber kidnapping" scheme in which his parents were blackmailed for US$80,000 was discovered alive but "cold and scared," according to police.

Missing Chinese student found in US forest after cyber kidnapping fraud

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