Disturbing 'Cyber Kidnapping' Trend On The Rise
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Image Credit: AFP
A 17-year-old Chinese exchange student was found safe inside a tent in the Utah mountains of the US
Image Credit: AFP
The teen was missing, and scammers convinced him to isolate himself, threatening to harm his family if he did not cooperate
His family then paid $80,000 in ransom to the criminals, and this was an act of cyber kidnapping
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In this criminals do not do the real kidnapping, but instead they target vulnerable victims virtually
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The scammers tell victims to isolate themselves and may convince them under duress to make it appear they are being held captive
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After this, they tell the family members to pay a ransom to free their loved ones
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In some cases, even contacting the victim via webcam and sending voice recordings to the families
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In some cases, scammers have been suspected of using AI to mimic the victim's voice
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The US police are warning people not to send any money if they feel that they are the victims of a cyber kidnapping
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Also, discontinue contact with the suspects and contact the police immediately
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