RIVERDALE, Utah, Dec. 31, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A 17-year-old foreign exchange student from China was found safe but scared and cold in a tent in Box Elder County following a case of “cyber kidnapping,” police said.
The teen was reported missing from his residence in Riverdale about 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
Riverdale police said the teen’s parents, who are in China, contacted the high school he has been attending and reported receiving a photograph of the teen indicating he had been abducted. The cyber kidnappers also requested and received an $80,000 ransom from his family, police said.
When contacted by officers, the student’s host family in Riverdale was unaware he was missing, police said.
“They reported he was home the night prior and they heard him in the early morning hours [Thursday],” Riverdale Police Chief Casey Warren said in a news release Sunday. “There was no evidence to suggest he was forcefully taken from the home in Riverdale.”
The boy’s family told police via phone they had transferred the money to bank accounts in China “due to continuous threats from the kidnappers,” Warren said.
“The family also provided the photograph of the victim and it appeared he was being held captive and was in danger,” the chief said.
Riverdale police worked with the FBI, U.S. Embassy in China and other Chinese officials to locate the missing student, police said.
“Through these interactions, we learned of a disturbing criminal trend called cyber kidnapping,” Warren said.
According to the FBI, cyber kidnappers have been targeting foreign exchange students — particularly those from China. The cyber kidnappers tell the victims to isolate themselves, and they monitor them through video calls, police said.
“The cyber kidnappers convince the victim under duress to take photos of themselves that make it appear they are being held captive and send the photos to their parents,” Warren said.
“The victims comply out of fear that their families will be harmed if they don’t comply with the cyber kidnappers. 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.”
During their investigation, Riverdale detectives learned the teen had been contacted Dec. 20 by police in Provo, where he was carrying camping gear, Warren said.
Provo police were concerned for the teen’s safety and arranged for his transportation back to Riverdale, police said. They also contacted Riverdale police.
Police say the juvenile student was “already being manipulated and controlled by the cyber kidnappers” during that encounter with police but did not disclose that to them.
When the teen went missing Thursday night, police say they believed he had the camping equipment with him.
“After analyzing and assessing bank records, purchases over the last month, phone ping records and the camping incident in Provo, we found the victim had visited the Brigham City canyon area,” Warren said. “We believed the victim was isolating himself at the direction of the cyber kidnappers in a tent. Due to the cold weather in Utah at this time of year, we became additionally concerned for the victim’s safety in that he may freeze to death overnight.”
The Weber County Sheriff’s Office used a drone to search possible campsites overnight and into the next day. A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter also assisted in the search, as did Brigham City police.
A Riverdale detective hiked on foot up the mountainside and found the missing teen’s tent in a wooded area, Warren said.
“[He] contacted the victim inside the tent and found he was alive but very cold and scared,” he said. “The victim was relieved to see police.”
The boy had no heat source inside the tent, only a heat blanket and sleeping bag, with limited food and water. He also had several phones that police say likely were use to carry out the cyber kidnapping.
“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,” Warren said.
Police are asking the public to contact police anytime they encounter cyber kidnapping.
“Do not send money, discontinue contact with the suspects, and contact police immediately,” Warren said. “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.”
