Cyber kidnapping.Photo:Getty
Getty
On Dec. 31, he was located in a tent with “no heat source,” a blanket, sleeping bag, limited food and water and “several phones that were presumed to be used to carry out the cyber kidnapping,” authorities announced.
Through the investigation, authorities also learned about a disturbing criminal trend called “cyber kidnapping” — and that cyber kidnappers have recently been targeting Chinese foreign exchange students.
What is “Cyber Kidnapping?”
According to the FBI, a similar extortion scheme is called “Virtual Kidnapping,” which originated in Mexican prisons. The incarcerated scammer would call numbers in affluent areas and make the victim believe their loved one is on the phone and is in imminent danger.
“The scammers attempt to keep victims on the phone so they can’t verify their loved ones’ whereabouts or contact law enforcement,” according to the FBI. The scammers then demand a wire ransom payment to ensure the safety of the alleged victim. These cases are extremely difficult to investigate since the calls typically come from outside of the country, the FBI states.
How to Stay Safe
According to theNational Institutes of Health, if you receive an alarming call about your loved one, there are steps you should take before panicking, including requesting to speak to the victim directly, attempting to contact the victim on a separate phone or device and contacting your local police department as soon as possible.
Indicators of an extortion scheme include a call from an outside area code, the caller attempting to keep you on the phone and ransom money only being accepted through wire transfers.
“I want foreign exchange students to know they can trust police to protect them and to work with police to ensure their safety as well as their family’s safety abroad,” Riverdale Police Chief Casey Warren said in the release.
source: people.com
