1 of 1 A 17yearold Chinese student who went missing has been found safe Photo: Reproduction/RPC A 17yearold Chinese student who went missing has been found safe Photo: Reproduction/RPC
The Chinese Embassy in Washington has warned its citizens living in the United States, especially students, about “sham kidnappings.”
The embassy issued a warning after Kai Zhuang, a 17yearold Chinese student who was reported missing, was found safe in a makeshift camp in the Utah desert on December 31.
Kai's parents told officials at their son's school that they had received a ransom note and a photo of the young man indicating he had been kidnapped.
According to police, victims of virtual kidnappings are manipulated into isolating themselves and even taking photos that give the impression of being in captivity even though the suspected kidnappers are not present.
The victim is monitored via applications such as Facetime and Skype.
Both the victim and their families are convinced that if they do not comply, the other side will be harmed.
According to local police, Kai's parents were tricked into transferring around US$80,000 (R390,000) to bank accounts in China.
Why are Chinese students being targeted?
According to police, Chinese students are being targeted by “cyber kidnappers” in several Western countries.
In September 2023, South Yorkshire Police's Fraud Coordination Team in the United Kingdom issued an alert to keep foreign students moving to Sheffield in the north of England informed.
Police said the scams mainly targeted Chinese students at colleges across the UK.
The victim receives a call from a scammer claiming to be from the Chinese Embassy, Immigration, Customs, or Chinese Police.
It is said that this is an ongoing international crime investigation and that the victim is therefore required to transfer large sums of money to an account in China for the alleged purpose of verification.
South Yorkshire Police said scammers used threats to get the victim to cooperate in some cases without telling anyone.
In Australia, New South Wales (NSW) police warned in October 2023 that “virtual kidnapping plots” were becoming increasingly sophisticated.
NSW Police Detective Superintendent Joseph Doueihi said the scams originated in mainland China.
Scammers deceive and force victims to assume the role of a Chinese official and then approach another victim.
“These scams resulted in victims being forced to travel to another state or abroad,” Doueihi said at a news conference, referring to trips to Thailand and Cambodia.
Broadcaster Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), citing NSW Police, said there had been three cases in October alone where young people aged between 20 and 23 were contacted by criminal networks posing as Chinese authorities .
The victims were forced to pay up to US$338,880 (R1.6 million) under the threat that they would be deported to China, where they would allegedly be accused of a crime.
In one incident, a 20yearold Sydney man was handcuffed and forced to board a domestic flight in Australia to hand over “official documents” to other victims in Adelaide and Victoria on behalf of Shanghai police.
The man's family was forced to pay more than $135,730 but refused to do so and contacted New South Wales Police.
In 2020, New South Wales Police issued a warning after there were at least eight confirmed cases of “virtual kidnapping” where more than $1 million was paid in ransom for kidnappings that never took place.
One case occurred in April 2020 in a Sydney suburb where Ryde Police were informed that family members of a Chinese student believed she had been kidnapped and had paid $203,300 to a person posing as Chinese police issued.
The woman was found safe at home a day later.
In August 2023, The Japan Times reported that some Chinese students in Japan had been blackmailed by scammers under similar circumstances.
In one case, the parents of a Chinese student transferred US$42,300 (R200,000) to a Chinese account after receiving a photo in which their daughter appeared to have been attacked.
It later emerged that the student had received a call from a person claiming to be a Chinese security guard.
The person told the student that a warrant had been issued for her arrest and that she was supposed to stage a fake kidnapping so that her parents would pay the money necessary for her to avoid arrest.
Police are urging Chinese students to pay attention to incoming calls, check all “official” requests with their local consulate and report to police if they discover they are the target of a scam.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), “virtual kidnappings” have been known for at least two decades.
The scam can take many forms, but it is always an extortion scheme that tricks victims into paying a ransom to free a loved one who they believe is at risk of violence or death.
A quick rescue is required before the plan is exposed.