Happy New Year!

In this first Privacy Files episode of 2024, we kick off a new true crime series…with a privacy angle.

We examine the disturbing crime of cyber kidnapping.

According to the FBI, scammers have been perpetrating variations of cyber kidnapping for at least 20 years.

Sometimes called “virtual kidnapping,” cyber kidnapping is an extortion scheme where scammers contact a person, claiming they kidnapped a relative and demand money to be wired in exchange for a safe release.

Although nobody is actually physically kidnapped, many people have fallen victim to this scam and have paid large ransoms.

The FBI says cyber kidnapping cases are difficult to investigate and prosecute because the scammers often reside in different countries where the US has no legal jurisdiction.

In this episode, we look at a recent cyber kidnapping case involving a Chinese high school exchange student living in Utah that led to the wire transfer of an $80,000 ransom.

Links Referenced:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/chinese-exchange-student-found-cold-scared-alone-tent-utah-mountains-c-rcna131840
https://wpde.com/news/nation-world/cyber-kidnappings-on-the-rise-chinese-exchange-student-utah-fbi-police-scammers-ransom-family-extortion-scheme-money
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67869517