Missing Chinese exchange student found safe after 'cyber kidnapping' scheme

Jan. 2 (UPI) -- A Chinese foreign exchange student who was reported missing last week in what police called a "cyber kidnapping" scheme was found in below-freezing temperatures but alive inside a tent outside Salt Lake City.

Investigators said they found Kai Zhuang, 17, on Sunday, by himself and "very cold and scared" in an icy canyon in the northeast section of Riverdale.

"We believed the victim was isolating himself at the direction of the cyber kidnappers in a tent," police said.

Zhuang reportedly fled his host family's home in Riverdale, Utah, last Thursday after cybercriminals made him believe that his parents in China were in danger, according to police.

At the same time, the boy's parents reportedly received a photograph of Zhuang, indicating he was being held against his will, prompting a call to officials at the teen's Utah high school, who notified police.

Zhuang's parents later revealed that they transferred $80,000 in ransom money to Chinese bank accounts after they received a photo from their son, suggesting he was kidnapped and still being forcibly detained.

Police unraveled the cyber scheme that tricked Zhuang into fleeing his host family's home before sending bogus kidnap photos to his parents in China, leading them to pay a huge sum for his safe return.

Police in Provo, Utah, picked up Zhuang on Dec. 20 and drove him 75 miles back to his host family in Riverdale after he was found walking alone in the cold with camping gear.

At the time the teen didn't indicate that anything was wrong.

More than a week later, on Dec. 28, police learned of Zhuang's disappearance, and discovered camping gear missing from his host family's home.

Three days later, they tracked his cell phone to Brigham Canyon, where emergency crews focused their efforts, ultimately finding Zhuang on a mountainside, where he was "relieved to see police."

The Riverdale Police Department shared photos and video footage of the rescue operation, including the moment a ground crew made contact with Zhuang and packed up the tent he was in.

"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," the department said in a statement to USA Today. "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 Police Department."

The FBI and the Chinese Embassy said they were working with Utah investigators to track down the suspects, while the crime is believed to have originated in China.

Authorities said the case is an example of a growing scam targeting exchange students, particularly those from China, in which cybercriminals contact both the student and the family separately, persuading each party that the other is in imminent danger.

The scheme coerces the exchange student into taking photos that, like in Zhuang's case, suggest he was kidnapped, and the images are then used by the criminals to dupe the family into forking over the ransom.

"The cyber kidnappers continue to extort the family by using fear, tactics, photos, and voice recordings of the victim, leading the family to believe the kidnappers are with the victim causing them harm," Riverdale police said.