Student Kai Zhuang went on a foreign exchange from China to . According to reports, the 17-year-old stopped showing up to classes at some point, which alarmed the school, which reported him missing on December 28. The police said that the boy was spotted by uniformed officers on December 20 when he was moving camping equipment. It is suspected that the student was already a victim of “cyberkidnapping”.
USA. “Cyberabduction” of a student from China. The police found him hypothermic in a tent with telephones
As reported by the portal, institutions such as the FBI, the US Embassy in China and Chinese officials were involved in the search for suspected “cyberkidnapping”. Despite this, the 17-year-old’s parents were deceived by the perpetrators and paid a ransom of approximately USD 80,000. Riverdale said the student was found “very cold and scared” in a tent in Utah on Sunday, December 31. He had with him food, water, a heating blanket and a sleeping bag, as well as several phones that officers believed were used for cybercrime.
What is “cyberkidnapping”? The police indicate that the purpose is to extort ransom
The police said that “cyberkidnapping” involves manipulating the victim into isolation and taking photos suggesting that he or she is being held captive. The perpetrators force people to follow their orders under the threat of harm to their loved ones and control the situation via instant messaging using the phone’s camera for calls. In this way, both the relatives and the victim are convinced that the other party will suffer harm if they do not follow the perpetrator’s instructions. The purpose of such actions is to extort ransom.
Another problem turned out to be winter weather conditions, which could have caused hypothermia or even death in the 17-year-old. The officers acted under time pressure because the boy could “freeze overnight.” After being found, the student asked to talk to his family and have a warm meal.
Source: Gazeta
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