Australian police warn Chinese students of 'virtual kidnap' scam

Australian police have warned universities and Chinese officials about a spurt in “virtual kidnapping” scams that coerce foreign students to fake their own abductions and trick families overseas into paying ransoms.

As tension has grown between Australia and China over trade, human rights and accusations of state-linked hacking, police said eight incidents of virtual kidnapping, involving a total payout of A$3.2 million ($2.3 million), were reported this year.