Cyber Kidnapping - A New Trend

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Good Morning & Happy New Year!

Lets start the year with insights to a recent cybercrime.

But first, a word from Vanta!

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Kai Zhuang, a high school foreign exchange student living with a host family, was reported missing on December 28th. Kai's family in China received a ransom note, accompanied by a photo supposedly proving his kidnapping. Distraught and fearing for Kai's safety, the family paid a hefty $80,000 to the alleged kidnappers.

After a frantic search, the police located Kai in a makeshift tent in the Utah mountains. Alive, but cold and scared, he had been living without a proper heat source, surviving on limited food and water.

Police discovered several phones in Kai's tent, suspecting he used them to stage the photos sent to his family. The authorities discovered Kai and his family had become victims of a new trend called “Cyber Kidnapping”.

What is Cyber Kidnapping

Cyber-kidnapping unfolds in two calculated stages, beginning with the isolation of the unsuspecting student. Through a web of psychological manipulation, the victim, often a student in a foreign country, like Kai Zhuang, is coerced into a state of isolation. This is usually achieved by leveraging some threat. Like releasing private photos for example, or some form of violence to a loved one and other forms of psychological manipulation, creating an environment of fear and vulnerability.

Once the victim is ensnared in this web, the cyber-kidnappers escalate their plans. Armed with intimate knowledge of the student's life, they deliver a ransom demand to the victim's family back in their home country, in this case, Kai's parents in China. The demand is usually accompanied by staged photos. At the direction of the cybercriminals, the student must stage their own captivity and capture compelling photos to substantiate the illusion.

The leverage wielded over the student is multifaceted. Fear, meticulously instilled through threats and surveillance, becomes a powerful motivator. Additionally, the cyber-kidnappers may exploit personal information, relationships, or even fabricate evidence to further manipulate the victim into compliance. The staged photos, carefully curated to appear as genuine proof of captivity, serve as a potent tool for coercion. The emotional distress inflicted upon the victim's family becomes the leverage necessary to compel them into meeting the ransom demands, completing the sinister two-stage con of cyber-kidnapping.

ALL DONE REMOTELY.

Closing 🔎

At "Don't Get Got," we're committed to unraveling the complex world of cybercrimes, hacks, scams, and overall cybersecurity. This near-miss rescue of Kai Zhuang serves as a stark reminder of the evolving tactics criminals employ in the digital landscape.

It’s a new year. Don’t Get Got in 2024!

P.S. Your experiences matter. If you've encountered a scam or have insights to share, we invite you to connect with us. Let's build a community that stands against cyber threats.

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