What is it and how to stay safe?

Salt Lake City (KTVX) — A missing Chinese student found in Utah last week was the victim of a “cyber kidnapping,” according to police.

But what is cyber kidnapping and how can you avoid becoming a victim?

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, cyber or virtual kidnapping is take various formsbut it's always a blackmail scheme.

“Unlike traditional kidnapping, virtual kidnappers don't actually kidnap anyone. Instead, they use deception and intimidation to coerce victims into paying a quick ransom before their plan falls apart. ” and the F.B.I. Officials explained.

This plan works by calling or contacting family members and telling them that their loved one is in custody. Families are forced to pay ransoms to secure the “early release” of their loved ones. In most cases, your loved one will not be in actual physical danger.

Typically, victims report receiving phone calls or hearing screams in the background. In another version of the scam, victims are told that a family member has been injured and they will not be allowed to go to the hospital until the damages are paid.

In the case of Kai Chan, a teenager reported missing from Riverdale, Utah, in late December, police said the situation is a little different.

The Riverdale Police Department explained that virtual kidnappers are known to target foreign students. The kidnapper contacted both the student and his family abroad, informing them of the danger to each other. They are demanding ransom from families while instructing students to isolate and monitor them through cell phones, including using Facetime and Skype sessions. Victims are also persuaded to take photos of themselves as if they had been captured.

“The victims followed the cyber kidnapper's instructions out of fear that their families would be harmed if they did not,” Riverdale Police said in a press release. “Cyber ​​kidnappers continue to blackmail families by using fear tactics, photographs and audio recordings of the victims, making them believe that the kidnappers are with the victims and causing them harm. There is.”

How to protect yourself from cyber kidnapping

Police said anyone who came close to the cyber kidnappers should not hand over money and should immediately contact authorities and cut off all contact with the criminals.

“We want international students to know that they can trust the police to protect them and that they can work with them to keep them and their families safe abroad,” said Riverdale Police Chief Casey Warren. I want you to do that,” he said.

The FBI said the best course of action is to hang up and not engage with the caller, including saying your loved one's name on the phone. When contacting the caller, stay safe by contacting the suspected kidnapping victim through social media or another phone.

“Try to delay the situation. Ask them to speak directly to the family and ask, 'How do I know my loved one is safe?'” the FBI suggested. “Ask questions that only the alleged kidnapping victim would know, such as the name of a pet. Avoid sharing information about yourself or your family.”

FBI and National Institutes of Health He said the calls usually do not come from the alleged kidnapping victim's phone, and the caller “does everything possible” to keep you on the line and prevent you from contacting your family. They will also try to work quickly to get you to send money.

If you believe you are the victim of a cyber kidnapping, or if you believe a real kidnapping is occurring, call 911 immediately and ask them to notify the FBI.