A Utah police has found a Chinese foreign exchange student alive and well after being involved in what authorities are referring to as a “cyber-kidnapping” case.
Kai Zhuang, 17, was reported as kidnapped by his parents in China on December 28, as reported by ABC4 Utah.
His parents had received a ransom photo of Zhuang and sent $80,000 to the extortionists. Police found him “alive but very cold and scared” in a tent in a mountainous area around 30 miles north, near Brigham City.
Officers traced Zhuang by analyzing previous purchases and phone records, as well as geolocating his mobile device.
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Reports indicate that “cyber-kidnapping” cases like these are becoming more common, with digital fraudsters targeting Chinese foreign exchange students in the US. The students and their parents are contacted separately and told the other party is in danger if they don’t follow their orders.
While demanding a ransom from the parents, the fraudsters tell the students to isolate themselves in a remote spot and monitor their mobile communications. They also persuade the student to take a photo of themselves to increase the pressure on the parents to pay, making it appear as if they are being held against their will.
The FBI is reportedly investigating a recent rise in such cases, which seem to involve a combination of social engineering and remote access malware.
However, it’s important to note that this type of “cyber-kidnapping” is different from “virtual kidnapping,” which involves the use of deepfake audio and generative AI tools to convince parents that their child has been abducted.
In these cases, the parents are urged to pay after receiving a distressing phone call from the blackmailers, who use voice cloning technology to play a brief message that sounds like the child is with them.