A foreign exchange student was found in a remote area of Utah, having been forced to participate in his own “cyber kidnapping.” In the scheme, he was made to fake his own kidnapping, so his parents would pay an $80,000 ransom.
Such “cyber kidnappings” often target international students and their families. Helen Li of Semafor rounds up reports from The New York Times, Australian Financial Review and The Guardian. (January 2024)