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

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.

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)