Family scammed out of $288k after Sydney student's 'kidnap' as elaborate plots evolve
Scammer's methods are evolving and a family who feared their 23-year-old daughter had been kidnapped in Sydney handed over $288,000. Here's the warning signs so you don't get caught A Sydney family who feared their 23-year-old daughter had been kidnapped in Sydney handed over $288,000 for her safe release but it was all an elaborate scam. New South Wales Police have warned of two other instances where sums of $500,000 and $220,000 had been demanded this month. Scammers are convincing victims they've been implicated in a crime or had their identity stolen in China, demanding cash to avoid arrest or deportation. The modus operandi of the scammers is changing, with some victims being convinced to fake their own kidnappings and others being warned to be hypervigilant of phone calls claiming to be a Chinese authority.
Pubblicato : 2 anni fa di Belinda Grant-Geary in General
A family who feared their 23-year-old daughter had been kidnapped in Sydney handed over $288,000 for her safe release but it was all an elaborate scam - an issue costing Aussies over $3 billion a year.
The Sydney student was caught up in a virtual kidnapping scam that has sparked a warning from New South Wales Police who are aware of two other instances where sums of $500,000 and $220,000 had been demanded this month.
Scammers contacting victims and convincing them they’ve been implicated in a crime or had their identity stolen in China, demanding cash to avoid arrest or deportation, have been common for years.
But police have warned “the modus operandi of the scammers is changing”.
Have you been scammed? Tell your story to [email protected]
Now some victims are being convinced to fake their own kidnappings.
“Scammers instruct victims to cease contact with their family and friends, rent a hotel room and take photographs or video recordings that depict them bound and blindfolded,” NSW Police said.
“These files are then shared with the victim’s relatives overseas.
• None EXCLUSIVE: Emma’s data was stolen in the Optus hack, now she’s ‘hyper vigilant’ online
• None EXCLUSIVE: Vulnerable Aussie conned out of $3.5k in cruel plot after tragic accident
“When the victim’s parents are unable to establish contact with their child in Australia, they send large ransom payments in exchange for their ‘release’.
“The caller will continue to make threats and ransom demands until they are unable to obtain any further payments, often resulting in the victim’s family making contact with police.”
The scammers are convincing and have managed to extort millions of dollars from people all over the world.
“Virtual kidnappings have developed considerably over the last decade by transnational organised crime syndicates, and they continue to become more sophisticated,” Detective Superintendent Joseph Doueihi said.
“In some cases, we’re seeing evidence of the scammers talking to their victim for months on end.
“We’ve also seen a couple of cases where the victim has eventually been coerced into then becoming the perpetrator and acting as a Chinese official to scam more students.”
Potential victims are being warned to be hypervigilant of phone calls claiming to be a Chinese authority.
“We want to remind victims there is nothing to be ashamed of coming to the police, as we continue to pursue every investigative avenue available to us to put an end to these types of scams.”
• None A 20-year-old man talked to a person claiming to be Chinese Police for months after they convinced him he’d been caught committing financial offences. He spoke to them daily and was “handcuffed for two hours” after meeting two men claiming to be police in August. His family were contacted but refused a $220,000 demand. Scammers allegedly tried to involve him in the scam, asking him to contact other would-be victims on their behalf. Investigations are ongoing.
• None A 23-year-old in Zetland had been talking to people online claiming to be Chinese Police and allegedly had been asked to request $500,000 from his family to delay fraud prosecution in China. Investigations are ongoing
• None The family of a 23-year-old girl contacted police on Sunday and said she had not been seen since the previous day. They had allegedly paid $288,000 to a Chinese bank account as ransom for her kidnapping. She was found in the city and police said she’d been involved in a “virtual kidnapping”. Investigations are ongoing.
How do I protect myself from scammers?
Aussies lost a record $3.1 billion to scammers last year, an 80 per cent increase on the previous year.
Scamwatch warn to beware of the following scenarios:
• None It’s an amazing opportunity to make or save money
• None Someone you haven’t met needs your help - and money
• None The message contains links or attachments
• None They ask you to pay in an unusual or specific way
• None They ask you to set up new accounts or Pay ID
What should I do if I think I’ve been scammed?
Contact your bank and report the scam. Ask them to stop transactions and stop sending any money.
Report the scam to Scamwatch here and make an official complaint to police here.
Watch out for follow up scams, particularly ones promising they can get your money back. Scamwatch warned one in three victims of a scam are scammed more than once.
Lastly, get support for yourself. You can talk to a financial counsellor or reach out to BeyondBlue on 1300 22 4636 or here for an online chat or Lifeline for crisis support online here on 13 11 14.
You can also contact IDCARE to “reduce the harm they experience from the compromise and misuse of their identity information by providing effective response and mitigation”.
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Temi: Crime, Australia