Family of Chinese exchange student kidnapped online in US pays US$80,000
(AFP, Los Angeles, 2nd) US police said that a Chinese exchange student who was the victim of an “online kidnapping” scam was found in a tent in the wilds of Utah. He was “cold and scared” but still alive. His parents were blackmailed for US$80,000 (approximately NT$2.43 million).
Kai Zhuang, 17, attends a high school in Riverdale, Utah. On December 28, 2023, Zhuang Kai was reported missing. His parents in China told the school that he seemed to have been kidnapped, and the kidnappers also demanded a ransom.
The process of this case follows the typical pattern of Internet kidnapping. The “kidnappers” usually ask the victim to hide alone, provide photos of themselves as if they have been kidnapped, and then send them to their families for ransom. Victims fear that their family members will be harmed if they disobey, so they often comply.
During several days of search operations, the police analyzed bank records, consumption records and mobile phone communication records, and determined that Zhuang Kai was alone in a tent on a hillside near Brigham City, about 40 kilometers north of Riverdale City. .
The police found Zhuang Kai on December 31. “Due to the cold weather in Utah at this time of year, we are particularly concerned about the victim’s safety and fear that he may freeze to death during the night,” the Riverdale Police Department said in a news release.
Police said an officer hiked up the mountain and found Zhuang Kai’s tent, which had no heating and contained “an electric blanket, a sleeping bag, limited food and water, and several mobile phones, presumably used for online kidnapping.” The officer “contacted the victim inside the tent and found him alive, cold and scared.”
After Zhuang Kai was rescued, he “ordered a hot cheeseburger” and asked to contact his family. Riverdale police said his family had paid $80,000 to a Chinese bank account.
Zhuang Kai’s host family in Riverdale did not know that he was missing at first, and heard his voice in the kitchen early that morning.
The press release mentioned that Riverdale police are working with the FBI, the U.S. Embassy in China and Chinese officials to search for Zhuang Kai’s whereabouts.
Riverdale police said that online kidnappers have recently targeted foreign exchange students, especially Chinese exchange students.
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2024-01-02 06:02:13
