CYBER
KIDNAPPING - DEFENCE & SECURITY
News:
Chinese boy ‘cyber
kidnapped’ in Utah found safe
What's
in the news?
●
A Chinese student who was a victim of
‘cyber kidnapping’ has been found in rural Utah, unharmed.
●
The 17-year-old, Kai Zhuang, was reported
missing on December 28. By the time the police traced him, his parents back in
China had paid $80,000 in ransom.
Cyber
Kidnapping:
●
Cyber kidnapping refers to a crime where
the ‘kidnappers’ convince their victim to hide, and then contact their loved
ones for ransom.
Methods
of Cyber Kidnapping:
●
The victim is also made to send pictures
that make it look like they are being held captive showing them bound or gagged
which are then shared with the family.
●
The ‘kidnappers’, though not physically
present, monitor the victim online
through video-call platforms.
●
Unlike traditional abductions, virtual kidnappers have not actually
kidnapped anyone. Instead, through deceptions and threats, they coerce
victims to pay a quick ransom.
○
Although virtual kidnapping takes on many
forms, it is always an extortion scheme - one that tricks victims into paying a
ransom to free a loved one they believe is being threatened with violence or
death.
●
Experts believe that with the rise of
Artificial Intelligence (AI), such crimes can rise, as scammers can send people
voice notes that sound exactly like a loved one in distress.