A Chinese student from Utah was found alone and “very cold and scared” in a tent in the frigid mountains after her parents abroad threatened her safety with a “cyber kidnapping,” authorities say. announced.
The Riverdale Police Department in Utah said in a news release that the parents of Kai Zhang, 17, were sent photos of her alleged abduction and received “continuous threats” from her kidnappers, who sent them a ransom in a Chinese bank account. announced that they had transferred $80,000 to Sunday.
Kai’s parents alerted Kai’s high school, which contacted Riverdale police on Dec. 28.
Police spoke with Kai’s host family in Riverdale, who were unaware he was missing. Police said the man had been at his home the night before and had heard voices in the early morning hours of Dec. 28, but there was no evidence he had been forcibly removed.
Riverdale Police said their officers worked with the FBI, the U.S. Embassy in China, and Chinese authorities to identify a criminal trend known as cyber-kidnapping, where foreign students, particularly those from China, are threatened and held for ransom. .
Victims are ordered to isolate, monitored via FaceTime and Skype, and forced to take photos of themselves as if they were being held captive, which are then sent to their frightened parents. Although kidnappings are clearly carried out remotely, victims often comply out of fear of harm to their families, and parents often fear that the kidnappers may actually be with the victim and harm them. She is blackmailed into thinking that she has sex.
Police investigated Kai’s whereabouts last month and discovered that he had been contacted by police in Provo, Utah, on Dec. 20. She was spotted trying to go camping with her camping gear. Provo police returned him to Riverdale due to “concerns for his safety.”
Riverdale police said they believed Kai was “manipulated and controlled by cyber kidnappers” as early as Dec. 20, but Kai never disclosed that to police or his host parents. .
After Kai went missing, police were unable to locate the camping equipment he had purchased and brought to Provo. Analysis of bank records and phone ringtones showed he had been visiting the Brigham City Valley area.
“We believed the victim was being isolated in a tent at the direction of the cyber kidnappers. Due to the cold weather in Utah at this time of year, it was likely that he would freeze to death overnight. “We have become increasingly concerned for the safety of the victim,” the news release said.
An overnight search was conducted with the assistance of the Weber County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Drone Team, and the search of Kai’s campsite continued into the next day.
Kai was found Sunday in a wooded area by Riverdale police who were walking up a mountainside near Brigham City, according to a news release.
“Upon contacting the victim inside the tent, he was found alive, but very cold and scared. The victim was relieved to see police,” the news release said. Ta.
He had no heating in his tent and had a heating blanket, a sleeping bag, limited food and water, and several phones “we believe were used to carry out the cyber kidnapping,” the statement said. .
Mr. Kai was evaluated by the Brigham Fire Department and no serious medical concerns were resolved.
“The victim simply wanted to talk to his family to make sure they were safe and requested a hot cheeseburger, both of which were fulfilled on the way back to the Riverdale Police Department,” police said.
Investigation is ongoing.
Authorities are now warning the public about cyber kidnappings, asking them to contact local police if they are targeted, not to send money and to cease all contact with the suspects.