Scam targets foreign students

A virtual abduction scam that targets international students and their families has surfaced in Calgary.

Police are warning post-secondary institutions and the public.

Investigators say a family in China received a ransom request through a son’s social media account saying he was being held against his will and would be harmed if they didn’t pay.

The family alerted police in China and authorities contacted the Calgary Police Service and the RCMP.

City officers tracked down the son, who they say had also been contacted by the scammers and told to hunker down at a hotel.

Police say it’s the second confirmed case in Calgary since the beginning of May.