Teenagers are increasingly being targeted by scammers: they are deceived, intimidated over the phone or given dangerous tasks in online games. In recent days, several attempts have been uncovered to stage the abduction of schoolchildren, in which they themselves participated under the influence of criminals. Izvestia found out how and why criminals force children to leave home and whether there is a way to protect teenagers.
"Crying and apologizing"
On March 19, it became known how fraudsters "abducted" a 15-year-old girl in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. They forced the schoolgirl to leave the city and demanded a ransom of half a million rubles from her parents, the Investigative Committee said.
Dasha disappeared on March 18 — the girl left her home in Achinsk and did not return. Two hours later, her father received a video message where his daughter was sitting in the cemetery, crying, apologizing to a certain "uncle Yura and the Wagners" and asking her parents for 500 thousand rubles to be released. The man contacted the police, who opened a criminal case on the abduction.
A search immediately began in the city, which involved more than 150 people — police officers and volunteers. First of all, the staff of the Investigative Committee found a place in the cemetery, from where the schoolgirl recorded the appeal. As it turned out, the girl arrived there by taxi and was there alone. Investigators quickly found the taxi driver who was driving the schoolgirl. He said that the passenger was silent all the way and listened to something in her headphones.
The found 15-year-old Dasha from Achinsk
The girl herself was found the next day in a rented apartment in the city of Nazarovo, 35 km from home. According to investigators, her abduction was staged by fraudsters, while the girl herself did not even understand what she was doing.
"She followed the instructions: they led her, told her where to go, record a video, what to say. The scammers dictated to her what to do," the Investigative Committee said.
Now the girl is fine, her life is not in danger. According to the Telegram channel Kras Mash, the scammers communicated with the girl in the messenger and threatened her. The account they wrote from has already been deleted.
"They threatened to kill my parents"
Another case, when unknown people convinced a child to leave home (though without demanding a ransom), occurred on March 18 in Primorsky Krai. A 16-year-old teenager was added to a new Telegram game, the condition of which was to hide for a day and not answer calls. But after learning about the search, the boy himself contacted the police. An inspection is currently underway there.
Another story about the "abduction" of a child occurred in January in Tomsk. Then the criminals made a video call to the mother of a 13-year-old schoolgirl: a masked man in a military uniform and with a weapon said that his daughter was with him. At first, the woman did not believe it, but then she realized that Anya (name changed) was really not at home, and her phone was not responding.
It turned out that the girl went outside in only her pajamas, throwing a down jacket on top. A few minutes later, her father received a message, where Anya said that a certain military man had taken her from her home, and now she was with him. Like Dasha from Achinsk, the schoolgirl asked to transfer 500 thousand rubles for her release.
The girl's parents immediately called the police. The staff quickly managed to find the "abducted woman" — she was hiding in the entrances. Anya admitted that the scammers intimidated her — an unknown man called and said that she allegedly borrowed 50 thousand rubles. He sent a photo from a chat where someone is asking for money on her behalf.
Then the stranger forced the schoolgirl to leave the house, hide and not answer anyone's calls. He forced the girl to make a video where she had to apologize for the deception and tell him that she was with unknown people, otherwise he threatened to kill her parents. The police calmed the girl down and brought her home, now she is fine.
Legends of scammers
According to Alexandra Pozharskaya, an expert on the Moshelovka platform, scenarios involving staged kidnappings to further blackmail their loved ones have been common for more than five years. During this time, the mechanics of the "abduction" were transformed and combined with various legends.
— In the first appeals on this topic, the victims stated that the scammers got in touch and demanded a huge ransom for the "abducted" at those moments when he was physically unable to answer the call and confirm that everything was fine with him, — says the expert. — For example, a child at a swimming competition, a phone in a locker. Or a grandmother in a sanatorium for an electrosleep procedure. In such a situation, panic occurs, which instantly turns off critical thinking, and most people will do anything, give any money to save a loved one.
As the interlocutor of Izvestia notes, this suggests that the attackers are very closely monitoring open profiles on social networks and, above all, they are compiling a detailed portrait of those who are going to be abducted, either in reality or in words, and their close associates, and are studying their financial capabilities.
— A couple of years ago, we began to receive stories when criminals posed as intelligence officers and, under the pretext of participating in special operations to catch fraudsters, forced victims to first transfer all the money to a "secure account", then urgently sell all their property and transfer the money to "authorized persons". They gave instructions on how to "disappear from the radar," turn off the phone, throw away the SIM card, go to another city and wait for a few days in a pre-rented hotel, apartment or room, Alexandra Pozharskaya continues.
During the time when no one could find the victim, the attackers often managed to get a large ransom from relatives. At the same time, they demanded not to contact the police.
In addition, the expert adds, there have been cases when malefactors deceived the relatives of the participants of their military operations and claimed that the fighter was not on a mission and therefore did not contact them, but was in captivity or died. They demanded a ransom from their loved ones for the hero's return alive or for burial. And information for their manipulations was taken from the social networks of anxious relatives or friends for added credibility.
Involving children
According to the Moshelovka expert, in the last year, malefactors have been using teenagers in their manipulations for more likely success and psychological impact on citizens. They involve children in scenarios using various mechanics, including game mechanics.
— The calculation is based on the psycho—emotional characteristics of teenagers, their lack of life experience, and their tendency to riot, - says Alexandra Pozharskaya. — There are intruders both in social networks and in Telegram channels. At first, the child is offered various harmless tasks in the quest format, and for each completed task he receives a reward. It can be some kind of points, bonuses, ranks or titles. Sometimes teenagers are even promised some material or digital prizes.
According to her, any form of encouragement can be used here, which in the environment of a teenager will testify to his exclusivity, courage and success. When scammers see that a child is losing control in a state of excitement and will definitely not be able to assess the consequences, they are offered to "hide" or perform some kind of action.
— With the help of such events, criminals solve several tasks. First, they are trying to extract financial benefits. Secondly, to destabilize society. And thirdly, to harm a particular family, because the story does not end with the return of the "abducted". After that, in addition to law enforcement officers, the preventive services are connected and numerous checks on the well-being of the family situation begin. We have to make up for financial and property losses. And if a teenager commits illegal acts, he is threatened with severe punishment," explains Alexandra Pozharskaya.
In the case of a missing child, the LizaAlert search team recommended that you immediately contact the nearest police station or call 112. The application must be accepted at the time of the request, regardless of the place of the missing person and the degree of kinship. In addition, it is important to prepare a fresh photo of the child, tell in detail about the signs and not conceal any information. It is important to tell your loved ones about the incident, but not to spread missing persons notices with personal contacts online — fraudsters can take advantage of this.
The opinion of a psychologist
As Svetlana Yashchenko, a child psychologist and founder of the Svet Mayaka Psychological center, explains to Izvestia, criminals can behave like experienced psychologists when dealing with children. They are well aware of the needs of children of their chosen age and manipulate them.
— For example, a child plays an online game, he doesn't have any friends in real life, and his parents don't always understand him. And then suddenly there's some guy who supports you in everything, tells you how to complete difficult levels, and jokes with him. He quickly becomes a friend, and the child begins to believe him. He doesn't understand that kindness can be a threat," says the psychologist.
Eventually, she notes, a criminal can become an authority figure for a child — and he will begin to act as he is asked. In addition, it is important for children to feel involved in the community (because they often join questionable groups and Telegram chats, perform various challenges), plus they like to rebel against the rules, draw attention to themselves and take risks.
— The same offer to hide for a day can be issued as a "test of courage." Children who want recognition and attention to themselves, so that they can be noticed and appreciated, agree to such tasks," says the psychologist.
Other methods of influence, according to her, may be blackmail or threats. For example, criminals can assure that there is some kind of "compromise" on the child, or intimidate him, promising to harm his loved ones or himself.
In order to protect your child from a criminal, a psychologist urges you to teach him to think critically and not to trust strangers. And, of course, to build a close and trusting relationship with him — always be interested in his affairs and try to do everything so that he comes to his family first of all with problems.
— It is very important to judge and criticize children less — they need to understand that no matter what happens in life, there is a place where they will always be supported, — says the psychologist. — And it is worth taking care that the child does not seek to get on social networks what is missing at home. Love, understanding, friendship and attention to him.
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