"Online kidnapping" scams using AI and manipulation tactics are targeting Vietnamese youth, warn RMIT experts. Parents are urged to build open, trusting communication.
Victims of "online kidnapping" scams are often manipulated into isolating themselves from family and friends, while loved ones are misled into believing the child has been abducted.
Experts from RMIT University warn that the phenomenon of "online kidnapping" is on the rise in Vietnam. To protect children from this emerging threat, they emphasize the importance of parents building open, supportive relationships with their children.
How scammers manipulate their victims
Psychologists and cybersecurity experts at RMIT University have raised alarms over the sophisticated tactics used by scammers to manipulate young people, including children and their families. They believe that "online kidnapping" cases will likely increase in Vietnam if these manipulative tactics are not widely understood.
Typically, these scams begin with perpetrators impersonating police officers, government officials, or trusted institutions. Victims are manipulated into isolating themselves from family and friends, while their loved ones are tricked into believing the child has been kidnapped. In some cases, scammers even use deepfake AI technology to replicate the victim's voice, heightening the deception.
"Although scams vary in form, they generally fall into two categories: promises of benefits and threats of consequences. In Vietnam, some young people fall prey simply because they don't want to disappoint their parents," said Dr. Katrina Phillips, senior lecturer in psychology at RMIT Vietnam.
Dr. Phillips also noted that instead of making immediate demands, scammers often begin by "setting the trap" - drawing the victim in by building trust and pretending to represent authorities or reputable companies.
Once trust is gained, the scammers create a sense of urgency, warning the victim that immediate action is necessary to avoid serious consequences. They then offer a solution, which is in fact a way to manipulate the victim into taking unnecessary and often harmful actions.
Explaining why young people are frequently targeted in these schemes, RMIT experts say this group is undergoing significant life changes. Scammers exploit publicly available data, leaked databases, and social media profiles to identify potential victims.
"In reality, scammers look for easy targets - those who are tech-savvy, financially dependent on their families, or emotionally isolated. Sudden changes in behavior, such as unusual self-isolation, secretive online activity, or emotional instability, can be early warning signs of online manipulation," Dr. Phillips added.
Four strategies to prevent online kidnapping
RMIT experts in psychology and cybersecurity, from left to right: Dr. Katrina Phillips, Dr. Jeff Nijsse, Dr. Sreenivas Tirumala, Dr. Joshua Dwight.
From a technical perspective, RMIT cybersecurity experts agree that "online kidnapping" scams are highly complex.
Dr. Jeff Nijsse, senior lecturer in software engineering at RMIT, explained that cybercriminals employ social engineering tactics, fake websites, malware, and even AI tools like voice-mimicking software to deceive both victims and their families.
According to Dr. Sreenivas Tirumala, also a senior lecturer at RMIT, scammers often instruct victims to isolate themselves before using Internet-based VoIP calls to make legal threats and demand banking information or one-time passwords (OTP).
Dr. Joshua Dwight, deputy head of the School of IT and Software Engineering at RMIT, pointed out that popular platforms in Vietnam such as Facebook, Zalo, WhatsApp, and Telegram are frequently used in these scams due to their broad reach and encrypted features.
"In fact, these scammers use both old and new technologies – from deepfakes to fake SMS messages. This allows them to approach victims in numerous ways and escalate to more serious crimes such as extortion, kidnapping, and human trafficking," Dr. Dwight explained.
To prevent "online kidnapping", Dr. Tirumala recommends a strategy that combines awareness, prevention, and verification, targeted at both families and schools. He emphasized four key approaches: educating students on cybersecurity to help them recognize scams; limiting the sharing of personal information online; verifying all communications by cross-checking calls, emails, and requests through trusted sources; and pausing before reacting, as no legitimate authority would pressure someone into immediate action without time for verification.
From a psychological standpoint, Dr. Dwight stressed the importance of fostering open, trusting relationships within families: "It's crucial that our children feel they can ask questions and seek advice, rather than hide what's happening from us."
As insiders of the digital world, nearly 50 teenagers recently shared their experiences, including challenges and benefits of participating in digital platforms, during a forum titled “Teens speak on digital safety and digital well-being.”
Vietnamnet.vn
Podcast
.svg){kind=icon}
