17-Year-Old Chinese Exchange Student Rescued in Utah After Falling Victim to Cyber Kidnapping Scam.
17-year-old Kai Zhuang Chinese Exchange Student in Utah discovered a chilling incident that reveals how cyber criminals have taken their attack method to the next level. The individuals responsible for this novel trick effectively stole a considerable amount of around $80,000 from the parents of Zhuang by using both deception and psychological manipulation.
NEW: 17-year old Chinese exchange student Kai Zhuang rescued in Utah after kidnapping himself.
Zhuang was reportedly 'kidnapped' in a cyber-scam where his parents were extorted out of $80,000.
The new scam, which is called "cyber kidnapping," is becoming more common. Scammers… pic.twitter.com/WIKFsr6oY9
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 6, 2024
The phenomenon of “cyber-kidnapping”is on the rise whereby scammers talk unsuspecting people into staging their own faux kidnappings and sending fake ransom photos to family members so they can extort money. Unfortunately, Zhuang fell into this sinister trick.
According to reports, the scammers forced Zhuang to run away from his residence and camp in a tent amidst the hills of Riverdale, Utah. Either way, the young student in some state of distress fell victim to the hands on manipulation by these scammers sending them staged kidnapping photos.
Local police in Riverdale, Utah, were instrumental in saving Zhuang’s life. In response to the dangerous situation, Riverdale police located Zhuang in the hills and he was found “cold and scared,” but luckily not injured.
The case illuminates the growing trend of cyber kidnapping racket that opens new horizons for law enforcement agencies across the globe to tackle. Authorities are encouraging public to be careful and report suspicious online behavior quickly. Technology is continuously evolving and as such, the way criminals carry out their nefarious activities also changes. Therefore, it becomes necessary for individuals and communities to stay informed about what these modern-day threats are all about so that they can be in a position to take the appropriate measures to protect themselves from them.
