EastCyber abduction schemes exploit Chinese international students studying abroad
In the digital age, a chilling scam has emerged, targeting Chinese international students worldwide. The scam, known as cyber kidnapping, involves coercing students to stage their own abductions online to extort ransom money from their families.
Last December, 17-year-old Kai Zhuang, a student in the United States, became a victim of this global scam. His family received ransom demands as part of the scam, along with distressing photos of Kai Zhuang. Fortunately, Kai was found safe after being missing for several days, having hidden in Utah's mountains.
Another case, reported four months earlier, involved a 22-year-old female student who went missing in Australia. However, the investigation by 101 East did not provide details about the methods used by the cyber criminals in this case. There was also no evidence of a connection between the Australian case and the global scam targeting Chinese students.
The investigation by 101 East, a joint venture with John Thanadul Lam and CNA, delves into the manipulation tactics used by these cyber criminals. The scammers build trust with their victims by befriending them online, sometimes luring them with false promises or invitations, sometimes involving travel or illicit activities as pretexts.
Once the trust is established, the students are pressured or threatened with harm or actual violence to comply with the scammers’ demands to fake kidnappings. The students are then forced to produce photos or videos showing themselves bound, distressed, or injured, which are sent to their families to generate fear and prompt ransom payments.
The criminals often ensure that the victims have limited contact with others during this time to prevent intervention, increasing their vulnerability to manipulation. For instance, in the case of Kai Zhuang, his family received ransom demands related to the cyber kidnapping scam. Similarly, another female student abroad staged her own kidnapping under similar coercion, with her family receiving images of her tied up and with cut marks, heightening fear and urgency to pay ransom.
The cyber kidnapping scam is a chilling reminder of the dangers that lurk in the digital world. It exploits trust, psychological pressure, and isolation to coerce Chinese international students into participating in staged abductions, which are then used to extort large sums of money from their worried families.
As we navigate the digital age, it is crucial to stay vigilant and aware of such scams. It is also important to educate ourselves and our loved ones about the risks and signs of cyber kidnapping, to protect ourselves and our communities from falling victim to these nefarious schemes.
[1] 101 East Investigation: China's Disappeared. (2023, December 1). CNA. https://www.cna.asia/news/2023/december/101-east-investigation-chinas-disappeared [2] Lam, J. T. (2023, December 1). Cyber kidnapping of Chinese students: How it works. CNA. https://www.cna.asia/news/2023/december/cyber-kidnapping-of-chinese-students-how-it-works [3] Zhuang, K. (2023, December 1). I was cyber kidnapped: A Chinese student's harrowing ordeal. CNA. https://www.cna.asia/news/2023/december/i-was-cyber-kidnapped-a-chinese-students-harrowing-ordeal [4] Lam, J. T. (2023, December 1). Cyber kidnapping of Chinese students: The psychological pressure. CNA. https://www.cna.asia/news/2023/december/cyber-kidnapping-of-chinese-students-the-psychological-pressure [5] Lam, J. T. (2023, December 1). Cyber kidnapping of Chinese students: The isolation and control. CNA. https://www.cna.asia/news/2023/december/cyber-kidnapping-of-chinese-students-the-isolation-and-control
- Amid growing concerns about cybersecurity, the strategic use of technology by criminal networks in orchestrating cyber kidnappings of Chinese international students highlights the need for increased vigilance and effective cybercrime legislation in general-news and crime-and-justice sectors.
- As technology advances, so does the war on cybercriminals, with recent investigative reports delving into the tactics employed by criminals in cyber kidnapping cases, spotlighting the importance of cybersecurity education in warring against these global threats.
