Authorities are warning about a rash of virtual kidnapping scams that have put families in fear and sometimes serious financial trouble. Police say the scammers take photos of victims while tied up by manipulating them into going along with the plot. The photos are used to extort money from their parents to secure their safety and release. Police say some students who were coerced into the scam resulted in payouts to criminals of over $100,000. The images are horrifying, appearing to show the students bound by rope at the hands and feed, lying on a floor, Scripps News reports. The criminals are accused of sending messages to parents containing recordings and threats to their child's safety, while demanding that money be transferred to a bank account. n aIt least one case, parents demanded proof that their son was safe. They viewed a video chat showing their 17-year-old son with his hands tied behind his back, and "with his mouth stuffed," police said.
Police said the suspect, who didn't show himself in the chat, could be heard in the background saying "You’ve seen your son. Send your money to me." Images of victims were released by Western Australia Police with their faces blurred by law enforcement. Scammers told the parents in that case not to contact police and said the nearly $7,000 they promised would not be enough to be able to meet with their son safely from an airport in Perth, Australia. A friend of the family reported the incident to police. The student was located later at a hotel in town. Police indicated that the victims weren't in any serious danger and the student told authorities the kidnapping was fake and part of a virtual kidnapping scam. Police in Australia say there have been at least four similar cases since August 2023 in which international students between the ages of 18 and 22 fell victim to virtual kidnapping scams.