Vancouver police are reminding the public that “virtual kidnappings” may be on the rise once again after a man nearly lost thousands of dollars to scammers.
Police say the latest attempt to extort someone through an elaborate kidnapping ruse was thwarted after officers were alerted.
Upon investigation, police from the Major Crimes Section say the attempt has similarities to a series of events that were reported last year.
“The victim typically receives a phone call and is convinced there is a warrant for their arrest in China, or that Chinese police need help with an investigation,” Vancouver police spokesperson Sgt. Aaron Roed said in a release.
The scammer then tells the victim to go into hiding and make fake videos of themselves claiming they’ve been kidnapped, Roed continued.
Those videos are then sent to the victim’s family and friends, who are then asked for money for the victim’s release.
Roed says those family members have often called police asking for help, alerting them to the incidents — but many more have likely gone unreported.
Police say scammers typically target women in their early 20s who travelled to Canada from mainland China to study on a student visa.
“Police from outside Canada will never arrest you in this country, ask for photos or videos of yourself pretending to be a victim of crime,” Roed said. “Any contact from international authorities should be through your local police.”
In 2018, Vancouver police issued similar warnings after three Chinese students were targeted with the same scheme. At least 20 other reports were received in 2017.
The B.C. RCMP also issued two of its own warnings that same year that described essentially the same ruse.
The first warning in July 2017 prompted the Chinese Consulate General to issue a warning to students studying in Vancouver.
“Should any Chinese citizens be involved in any legal cases in China, the relevant legal documents will be mailed to them directly from Chinese diplomatic missions,” the consulate said then. “No phone call will be made to verify any personal information, especially the personal banking information.”
Anyone who receives a call from someone claiming to represent a foreign police agency is asked to call 911 immediately.
Those with information about virtual kidnappings helpful to investigators can call Vancouver police or Crime Stoppers.
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