1 of 3 Toronto students targeted in Chinese kidnapping scam found safe, police say

Toronto police say theyhave located one of the threeChinese nationals studying in Canada who was targeted in akidnapping scam.

Juanwen Zhang, 20, was found safe on Saturday following reports that two others,Yue(Kandy)Liu, 17, andKe (Jaden)Xu, 16, were also missing.

Police saidthey have information that suggeststhesestudents may have received threatening phone calls before disappearing.

• Missing students may have fallen victim to kidnapping scam: Toronto police

"They're being told they need to go into hiding, not to use theircellphones, not to contact their families and not to use any form of social media or theinternet," saidConst. Craig Brister.

After that,heexplainedthescammercalls the victims' family members in China to tell them their relative has been kidnapped with demands fora "large ransom."

Police concerned for student's safety

Liu, one of the two students still missing, was last seenat 10:30 a.m. ET on Fridayin theYongeStreet and Finch Avenue Westarea.

Brister said Saturday that police are concerned for Liu's safety. She was reported missing by her guardian, he said.

Liuis described as five-feet-sixwith a thin build, long black hairand brown eyes. When last seen, she was wearing a knee-length brown jacket, a white scarf, blue track pantsand black and white shoes.

Xu, the other missing student, was last seen at 10:30 a.m. ET on Thursday aroundEglintonAvenue East and Midland Avenue.

He is described as six-feet-onewith a thin build. He hasshort black hair, brown eyesand was wearing a red winter jacket, grey pantsand carrying a black backpack.

'Basically tricking people': expert

Similar scams targeting Chinese students have been reported elsewhere in Canada, police said, but this is the first time it has happened in Toronto.

JosephSteinberg, a cyber security expert, saidvirtual kidnapping began by targeting the Spanish community.

It started, he explained, becausescammersbelieved that many people from thisgroup would be scared to contact police because they are in Canada illegally. But it only grew from there.

"At this point it has spread and it is pretty much targeting everybody," Steinberg said.

He added that it's hard for investigators topinpoint who the scammeris because others have copied the scheme to turn a profit.

"These scams aren't like classical, real kidnappings where someone says, 'Pay a large amount of money and you have 24 hours,'" he said.

• Virtual kidnapping phone scam targets Chinese nationals

"It's basically tricking people into thinking that their loved one or their co-worker is in danger when that person is totally safe."

Ifeitherof thestudents islocated, members of the public are urged to call police.

Anyone with information regarding these scams is asked to call police at (416) 808-5200 or (416) 808-4100, orCrime Stoppersat (416) 222-8477.