Boy Who Was Cyber Kidnapped Found Safe

Who was cyber kidnapped?

A 17-year-old Chinese boy named Kai Zhuang was found scared but alive in a tent in Utah, USA, after falling for a cyber-kidnapping scam. His parents, staying in China, had to pay $80,000 due to this scam.

They thought Kai was kidnapped when they saw ransom photos. They told his school, and the school called the police, who found Kai. Sadly, his parents already sent the money.

How was the boy found?

The police found Kai Zhuang by checking his bank records and phone data. They thought he might be in a tent near Brigham City in Utah. A policeman walking up a mountain in the area saw Zhuang's tent. The police also got help from the FBI, the US embassy in China, and Chinese officials to find the boy.

What is cyber kidnapping?

Cyber kidnapping is a crime in which the kidnappers force their victims to go into hiding and then contact their families for ransom. The victim is also forced to provide images that make it look like a real kidnapping. The criminals send these photos to the person's family.

The person and their family worry that something bad will happen if they don't do what the criminals say. The bad people aren't there in person; instead, they watch the person through video calls.

The FBI says cyber kidnapping is a scam to fool people into giving money to protect their families. The cyber kidnappers use different tricks and threats to make people pay before the truth comes out. In Kai Zhuang’s case, his parents received a photo showing he had been kidnapped, and money was extorted from them.

How can one protect themselves from cyber kidnapping?

Experts say it's important to be careful when getting calls from unknown numbers. These scammers use details from social media, like where someone lives, their birthdate, etc., to trick them. So, being careful about what one shares online is a good idea.

Experts recommend checking with family before sending money and talking to the police. Families can create secret words or phrases to make sure the person calling is really a family member, not a scammer. These are some ways to stay safe from cyber kidnapping.