1月1日，据中国驻美国大使馆官网消息，驻美国使馆发言人就疑似遭绑架中国留学生被安全找到事答记者问。
问：据媒体报道，在犹他州疑似遭绑架的中国留学生已安全找到，中国使馆能否证实并介绍有关情况？
答：在美国当地警方、中国驻美国使馆和中国国内公安机关等多方努力下，该名留学生已于当地时间12月31日晚安全找到，目前身体状况良好。据当地警方介绍，该名留学生系遭遇了“虚拟绑架”电信诈骗，目前案件仍在进一步侦办中。
中国驻美国使馆再次提醒在美中国公民，特别是在美留学人员务必提高安全意识，加强安全防范，高度警惕“虚拟绑架”等电信网络诈骗，避免人身和财产安全受损。
遭網路綁架詐騙 中國交換生獲救「又冷又怕」
時間：2024-01-02 12:48
法新社報導，美國警方表示，一名中國交換學生成為「網路綁架」詐騙案的受害者，他的父母被敲詐了8萬美元，而他則被發現人在猶他州野外的一處帳篷內，「又冷又害怕」，但還活著。
17歲的莊凱(Kai Zhuang，音譯)就讀於猶他州里維戴市(Riverdale)的一所高中。在他位於中國的雙親向校方表示，兒子似乎已遭綁架而且被要求贖金之後，莊凱在去年12月28日被通報失蹤。
這起案件依循著典型的網路綁架模式，「綁匪」要求受害人獨自一人，並提供自己彷彿被綁架的照片，然後將照片寄給家人以勒索贖金。受害人則會遵守規定，因為擔心如果不從，他們的家人將會受到傷害。
在經過長達數天的搜尋，分析了銀行紀錄、採買和手機的通聯紀錄後，警方相信莊凱獨自一人在里維戴市北方約40公里的布立亨城(Brigham City)附近的帳篷內。
里維戴警局表示，警方在去年12月31日找到莊凱。「由於猶他州每年這個時節的天氣寒冷，我們格外擔心受害人的安全，怕他可能在夜裡凍死」。
根據里維戴警方表示，莊凱在獲救後，「要了一個熱騰騰的起司漢堡」，並和家人通話。在詐騙過程中，他的家屬已向中國的銀行帳戶支付了8萬美元。
警方表示，網路綁架者近來一直鎖定外國交換生為目標，特別是中國交換生。
美國警方尋獲疑被綁架中國留學生 料受害人遭詐騙
2024-01-02 10:30
在美國懷疑被綁架的中國留學生已安全找到，當地警方相信他是遭到電信詐騙。
猶他州警方周日晚，在距離該名17歲學生住所大約40公里外一個帳幕找到他。當時他又冷又害怕，獲救後要求吃芝士漢堡同聯絡家人。中國駐美大使館稱，他目前身體狀況良好。
當地警方相信，該留學生是遭到電信詐騙，以為在內地的家人受威脅，他需要匿藏自己。學生的家長之後受到勒索信，相信兒子被綁架，並繳付八萬美元贖金。
駐美國大使館提醒在美中國公民，高度警惕「虛擬綁架」等電信網絡詐騙。
Missing foreign exchange student found safe inside tent in Utah in ‘cyber kidnapping’: Police
The 17-year-old was found days after being reported missing, police said.
January 2, 2024, 5:38 AM
Kai Zhuang, 17, was reported missing Thursday night by his high school, according to the Riverdale Police Department.
A missing foreign exchange student from China was found safe inside a tent on a Utah mountainside following a dayslong search in what police called a case of “cyber kidnapping.”
Kai Zhuang, 17, was reported missing Thursday night by his high school, according to the Riverdale Police Department. The teen’s parents told school officials that they received a photograph of Zhuang from his alleged kidnappers indicating he had been abducted, police said.
His family told police they had transferred ransom money to bank accounts in China “due to continuous threats from the kidnappers,” the Riverdale Police Department said. They also provided the photograph, which appeared to show Zhuang being held captive and in danger, police said.
The teen’s host family was not aware he was missing and there were no signs that he was forcefully taken from his Riverdale home, police said. The family heard him at the home early Thursday, police said.
Riverdale police said they worked with the FBI, U.S. Embassy in China and Chinese officials to try to locate him in what they suspected to be a cyber kidnapping. Perpetrators of this crime tend to target foreign exchange students and tell their victims to isolate themselves and make themselves appear to be held captive in an attempt to extort the victims’ family for ransom, police said. Victims comply out of fear that their family will be harmed, police said.
PHOTO: Police said missing foreign exchange student Kai Zhuang was found in Utah’s Brigham City canyon area on Dec. 31, 2023.
Riverdale Police Department
Investigators learned Zhuang had purchased camping equipment and attempted to go camping in Provo, about 75 miles south of Riverdale, on Dec. 20, but local police were concerned for his safety and arranged transportation to return him to his host family, Riverdale police said.
The victim did not disclose to police or his host parents at the time that cyber kidnappers were controlling him, Riverdale police said.
Investigators believed Zhuang was now isolating himself at the direction of the cyber kidnappers in a tent in the Brigham City canyon area, about 27 miles north of Riverdale, amid dangerously cold temperatures, police said.
The Weber County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Drone team and Brigham City police assisted in searching a large area along the Wasatch front in Brigham City for the teen. A Riverdale police detective who hiked the mountainside on foot came across the teen “alive but very cold and scared” inside the tent in a wooded area on Sunday, police said.
PHOTO: Police said missing foreign exchange student Kai Zhuang was found in Utah’s Brigham City canyon area on Dec. 31, 2023.
Riverdale Police Department
“The victim was relieved to see police,” Riverdale police said. “The victim had no heat source inside the tent, only a heat blanket, a sleeping bag, limited food and water and several phones that were presumed to be used to carry out the cyber kidnapping.”
First responders cleared the teen of any major medical concerns at the scene.
“The victim only wanted to speak to his family to ensure they were safe and requested a warm cheeseburger, both of which were accomplished on the way back to Riverdale PD,” police said.
PHOTO: Police said missing foreign exchange student Kai Zhuang was found in Utah’s Brigham City canyon area on Dec. 31, 2023.
Riverdale Police Department
The investigation is ongoing.
Riverdale police urged anyone who has become the target of cyber kidnapping to discontinue contact with the suspects and not send them money, and to contact their local police department immediately.
“I want foreign exchange students to know they can trust police to protect them and to work with police to ensure their safety as well as their family’s safety abroad,” Riverdale Chief Casey Warren said in a statement.
Riverdale police say missing foreign exchange student found safe was victim of ‘cyber kidnapping’
Dec 31, 2023, 9:38 PM | Updated: Jan 1, 2024, 6:40 pm
RIVERDALE — Riverdale police said Sunday night that a missing 17-year-old foreign exchange student has been found safe and that he was the victim of “cyber kidnapping.”
Kai Zhuang was reported missing Thursday. Police asked for the public’s help to find him Friday and said he was considered endangered because Kai’s family in China had received a ransom note and a photo of their child that would indicate he may have been kidnapped.
When police responded to the residence of the host family Kai was staying with, they were unaware that he was missing, reporting that he had been home the night prior and they had heard him early that morning.
Riverdale Police Chief Casey Warren said Sunday that Kai was “manipulated and controlled” by “cyber kidnappers” who made him believe that his family in China was threatened, and that the family had paid $80,000 “due to continuous threats from the kidnappers” after seeing a photograph that made it appear that “he was being held captive and was in danger.”
The Riverdale Police Department worked with the FBI and U.S. Embassy in China, along with Chinese officials. Through these interactions, the police learned more about cyber kidnapping and how it could apply to this case, Warren said.
The FBI briefed Riverdale police on multiple recent cases where cyber kidnappers targeted Chinese foreign exchange students. The perpetrators threaten the young foreign exchange students and their families while demanding ransom, telling the students to isolate themselves and while under duress, to take pictures of themselves that make it look like they are being held captive and send them to their families, Warren said.
Through obtaining bank records, purchases over the last month, phone ping records and after discovering a recent encounter with police in Provo who were concerned for Kai’s safety after he attempted to set up a campsite, Riverdale police believed Kai was self-isolating in a Brigham City canyon area.
Kai was found Sunday by a Riverdale detective in the mountains near Brigham City “alive but very cold and scared. The victim was relieved to see police. The victim had no heat source inside the tent, only a heat blanket, a sleeping bag, limited food and water and several phones that were presumed to be used to carry out the cyber kidnapping,” Warren said in a statement.
KSL TV spoke to Chris Bertrum who is a law enforcement expert about the case. Bertrum is a Former deputy police chief and is currently a private investigator.
“They isolate the victim they isolate the target family and they put them in a position where they both are believing that something is going on that causes them to pay out money. Based on the fact that both groups are very fearful of what is going on” Bertrum said.
Bertrum said these types of crimes are carried out by very calculated and organized criminals.
“This took some planning this probably took some time… you’ve got someone organized enough to know where he is in Utah to know where the family is [in China] and to know how to communicate with the son and to communicate with the family.”
Kai was able to speak to his family and ensure they were safe and was also given a warm cheeseburger on his way back to the Riverdale Police Department.
“I think it’s important for families prepare themselves for something like this,” Bertrum said.
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