'Cyber kidnapping': Chinese exchange student found willingly isolating in mountains under direction of online extortionists

A Chinese foreign-exchange student was found by police at a makeshift campsite in the mountains of Utah as part of an alleged extortion scheme concocted by online criminals. Police referred to the incident as a "cyber kidnapping."

Kai Zhuang, 17, was reported missing by his high school after his parents received a ransom note accompanied by a photo of their son, the Sun reported. The teen's parents, who live in China, paid a reported $80,000 to Chinese bank accounts "due to continuous threats from the kidnappers," a press released read stated, according to CNN.

The student's host parents in Riverdale, Utah, however, were unaware that he was missing, having heard him in their kitchen in the early morning on the day he disappeared.

During the investigation, Zhuang was spotted on surveillance footage at a local store and was found to have recently bought camping supplies that were unaccounted for. Additionally, it was revealed that Zhuang was picked up by police a week prior to his alleged kidnapping when they found him trying to camp, and they sent him home as they were concerned for his safety.

This information led police to believe that he may have once again been attempting to camp alone.

It took local authorities working with the FBI, the U.S. embassy in China, and Chinese officials to finally locate the teenager after analyzing bank records, purchases, and phone signals.

Zhuang was found in a tent 25 miles north of the Brigham City, Utah, with 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 Riverdale Police Department said.

The victim was reportedly "very cold and scared" and requested a cheeseburger.

A report from French outlet AFP noted that the case is typical of a cyber kidnapping, during which online fraudsters tell a victim to isolate and provide pictures of themselves appearing to have been held captive and monitor them via video calls.

The extortionists then send the pictures to family members and demand payment. The fake kidnapping victims typically comply due to the threat that their family would be harmed.

The Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., issued a warning to Chinese nationals in the U.S. to "boost safety awareness, take necessary precautions, and stay vigilant against 'virtual kidnapping' and other forms of telecom and online fraud," Yahoo! News reported.

Riverdale Police added that cyber extortionists have been targeting foreign exchange students, particularly Chinese students.

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