JOHOR BAHRU, MALAYSIA – An 18-year-old Chinese student studying in Singapore has been embroiled in a bizarre scam after he falsely claimed to have been kidnapped while in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The youth, who has not been named, reportedly informed his family that he was being held for ransom, with demands escalating to 3.5 million yuan (approximately S$621,500).
The young man, originally from Foshan in Guangdong province, had been studying at SIM Global Education in Singapore since October 2024. His parents, who are businesspeople based in Dubai, received alarming messages from him on May 2, including a video that purportedly showed him being beaten and threatened.
The Ransom Scheme
In the video, the youth appeared to be in distress, with his mouth taped and hands bound, while two other voices could be heard in the background. Initially, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of 500,000 yuan (around S$88,800), but after sending the distressing video, they increased their demand to an additional 3 million yuan (approximately S$532,700), threatening to kill him and sell his organs if the money was not paid.
Upon receiving the threats, the youth’s parents attempted to negotiate and offered 100,000 yuan (about S$17,800) via Alipay, but this offer was rejected by the alleged kidnappers.
Parents’ Response and Investigation
Immediately after receiving the ransom demands, the parents contacted the police and flew to Singapore to locate their son. They discovered that he had entered Malaysia on April 30. After arriving in Singapore, they traveled to Kuala Lumpur to report the incident to local authorities.
Before his disappearance, the youth had not attended school for a week, and his last known location in Singapore was near Orchard Road. His mother noted that he had been playing online games the night before he crossed into Malaysia.
Police Action and Arrests
Within 48 hours of the report, Malaysian police arrested a 23-year-old Chinese man at Penang International Airport, who was allegedly involved in the scheme. The suspect claimed he had been coerced into filming the videos of the youth under the pretense of helping with an anti-fraud initiative. He stated that he was told by someone posing as a “Chinese police” officer that he needed to create the videos to avoid being implicated in a credit card fraud case.
The youth was eventually located in Kedah four days after the supposed kidnapping. He was found with a thigh injury but was otherwise unharmed. He had been coerced into participating in the scam, which involved filming the staged kidnapping.
Conclusion
The youth’s parents did not pay any ransom, and the police are continuing their investigation into the incident. This case highlights the dangers of scams targeting young individuals, particularly those studying abroad, and the lengths to which some may go to manipulate and exploit them.
As the investigation unfolds, both the student and his family have returned to China, and authorities are working to dismantle the syndicate behind this elaborate scam.