Reducing the risk of kidnapping

 

This page has advice for Australian travellers about the risk of kidnapping.

On this page:

• knowing the risk before you go
• reducing your risk of kidnapping
• types of kidnapping
• reporting an overseas kidnapping
• how the Australian Government can help

Know the risk before you go

A kidnapping happens when a person, without consent, is:

• taken
• lead or enticed away
• unlawfully detained
• abducted
• taken hostage.

The intention is usually to

• hold that person for ransom
• obtain any other advantage.

Kidnappers often hold the victim and contact their family or employer to negotiate their release.

Reasons for kidnap may include:

• financial gain
• ideology, including terrorism
• politics.

If you can't contact an Australian overseas and there's no proof of kidnapping, they may be missing. See our advice on what to do if an Australian is missing overseas.

For information on international parental child abduction, see our advice about travelling with children. You can also learn more about international parental child abduction from the Attorney-General's Department.

Where kidnapping is a risk

Kidnaps can happen anywhere, anytime, including in destinations that are typically at lower risk. Kidnapping occurs across the world with political, ideological, and criminal motives. Foreigners, including Australians, have been kidnapped overseas while travelling.

The threat of kidnap is very high in some parts of the world, including:

• parts of the Middle East
• Africa, including:
  • remote parts of West and East Africa
  • the Sahel area
• South America.

Where there is a heightened risk of kidnap, more information is available in the destination travel advice.

If you travel to an area where kidnapping is common, it is essential that you take measures to reduce your risk. If despite our advice, you travel to an area with a high risk of kidnapping our ability to provide consular assistance in many of these destinations is limited.

Reducing your risk of kidnapping

You’re responsible for your own safety. To reduce the risk of kidnapping:

• Research your destination. Find out what the risks are.
• Subscribe to the travel advice for your destination.
• Always be alert to your personal security and surroundings. Avoid distractions. Be prepared to stop or take evasive action if you sense danger.
• Get professional security advice for travel in locations with a heightened kidnap risk. Have a contingency plan.
• Check your accommodation has appropriate security measures.
• Vary your movements so you don't set predictable patterns.
• Keep a low profile, including online. Drawing attention to yourself in high-risk areas may signal to criminals that you have something worth taking.
• Avoid isolated locations, particularly when travelling alone. There’s safety in numbers. Try to travel with someone else, especially at night.
• Tell family or friends about planned travel; share your location and emergency contacts that they can rely on if something happens
• Avoid talking about your money or business affairs.
• Use ATMs in public places and during daylight hours.
• Avoid giving personal details to strangers online or over the phone. Criminals have been known to search social media for victims.

If you’re confronted by armed criminals, it is best to surrender and cooperate – resistance tends to make the situation worse.

In high-risk destinations

Other things you can do to protect yourself in destinations with a high risk of kidnapping include:

• Make a communications plan with your loved ones. Ensure your devices will work in your destination. You can use your devices to share your location with friends and family when you’re travelling.
• Share important documents, logins, and contacts with loved ones before you travel.
• Draft a will. Name appropriate insurance beneficiaries and power of attorney.
• Discuss a plan with loved ones about care and custody of children and property.
• Appoint one family member to serve as the point of contact if you’re kidnapped.
• Delete sensitive or controversial photos, comments and other material from your social media. Do the same for your camera, laptop and other devices. The material could put you at risk if seen as provocative by local groups.
• Leave your expensive and sentimental belongings behind.

Local security providers

Private companies may provide personal security services in high-risk destinations.

If you're travelling for work, business, or to volunteer, ask your employer or organisation about your security provider. Contact the provider for advice, support and help.

You’re responsible for your own safety. If you're travelling independently, find a security provider in your destination. Ask them for personal advice to suit your situation.

Travel insurance for kidnapping

Standard travel insurance policies don't cover kidnapping or pay ransoms. You may need a specialised policy, especially if you're going to a high-risk location.

Some standard policies only cover some types of kidnapping, such as express kidnapping. They may treat it as a mugging.

Check what your policy covers. Most insurers won't cover you if our advice level for your destination is 'Do not travel'.

Learn more about travel insurance. Read the travel insurance buying guide (CHOICE).

Types of kidnapping

There are different types of kidnaps:

• Traditional kidnapping
• Express kidnapping
• Virtual kidnapping
• Kidnapping using online scams
• Kidnapping by pirates
• Cross-border kidnapping

Traditional kidnapping

Terrorists, militant groups and financially motivated criminals often target tourists for kidnap. In some situations, kidnappers have killed their victims when their demands weren't met.

Some kidnappings happen for ideological or political reasons. Because of this, the kidnapper may be unlikely to negotiate.

Terrorists and criminals can target Australians anywhere. But the risk is higher in conflict zones and countries where our advice level is 'Do not travel.'

Terrorists and criminals have kidnapped foreigners who are:

• journalists
• oil and mining industry employees
• aid and humanitarian workers or volunteers
• expatriates
• tourists, especially where tourism is rare
• using local tour and transport operators.

Express kidnapping

Criminals often kidnap and threaten tourists to force them to withdraw large amounts of money from ATMs or from banking applications on your phone. The kidnapping often ends when the victim can no longer withdraw or transfer money. In some places, this is called 'express kidnapping'.

In some cases, kidnappers have killed victims for fighting back.

Some criminals pretend to be unlicensed taxi drivers. Once the victim is in the cab, they're held until they agree to withdraw money. Always use licensed taxi services.

Virtual kidnapping

Virtual kidnapping is a scam. It targets the family and friends of people travelling, not the traveller.

In this scam, the ‘kidnapper’ contacts a family member of the traveller. They often tell a believable story about the traveller being kidnapped, injured or arrested. The story may include things the traveller has posted on social media to make it sound genuine. They then ask for money.

If the traveller has a lot of videos and photos of themselves online, the virtual kidnapper may also use artificial intelligence (AI) to create "deepfakes." These could be altered photos, videos, or audio recordings of the traveller. They're used to convince the traveller's family or friend that the kidnapping is real.

In most cases, the scammer tries to keep the person they've contacted on the phone. This stops them from contacting the traveller to confirm they're safe.

If they ask for a credit card number, it could also be a credit card scam.

Learn more about virtual kidnapping from the US National Institute of Health. Also read the advice on virtual kidnapping from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Methods of virtual kidnapping

• The caller claims to have the traveller hostage. They demand an immediate ransom for their safe return.
• The caller says they're from a hospital. They say the traveller is in hospital and needs urgent treatment. They ask for upfront payment for the medical care.
• The caller claims to be from the police. They claim the traveller has been arrested or jailed. They demand money to pay the traveller's fines so that they can release them.

Kidnapping and online scams

Sometimes, kidnappings can be linked to internet scams. This includes romance scams and Nigerian letter scams (ACCC).

Some kidnappers run very advanced operations. Often, they build a relationship of trust over months or years with the victim before asking them to come overseas.

Be careful of any online invitation to travel somewhere you don't know. Especially if someone is offering you romance, a job or money.

If you think you've been scammed, don't go overseas to get your money back. The scammer may kidnap you and then demand even more money from your loved ones for you to be released.

See our general advice on scams that affect travellers. Learn more about avoiding scams on ScamWatch (ACCC).

Piracy

Piracy can include kidnapping. Some pirates kidnap people who travel by boat and demand a ransom.

Pirates attack all types of boats. This includes commercial vessels, pleasure craft (such as yachts) and luxury cruise liners. For more information, including on high-risk locations for piracy, see our advice on boat travel and piracy.

Cross-border kidnappings

Kidnappers may take hostages to a neighbouring country. For example, terrorists have kidnapped humanitarian workers and tourists in Kenya but held them in Somalia. People kidnapped in Afghanistan have sometimes been taken to Pakistan.

Reporting an overseas kidnapping

Kidnapping is a crime. Report all crimes to the local authorities. Local police contacts are under 'emergency contacts' on each destination's travel advisory.

Also report the kidnapping to the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre at:

• +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas
• 1300 555 135 in Australia

Advice on what the Australian government can do to help is captured below.

Ransom and demands

Kidnappers won't always let the victim go if you meet their demands. They don't always hold up their end of the deal.

The Australian Government does not make payments or concessions to kidnappers.

Ransom

The kidnappers may demand a ransom to release the victim. Paying the ransom doesn't ensure the victim's release. They may make more demands after you've paid.

Terrorists can use ransom payments to fund terrorist attacks. Under Australian counter-terrorism financing laws, it's illegal to give money to terrorists. Ransom payments to terrorist groups are likely to contravene Australian counter-terrorism financing laws.

Learn more about Australians counter-terrorism laws (Attorney-General's Department).

Demands

The kidnappers may make other demands. This could be in addition to or instead of money. They may make demands for the local government, such as releasing a prisoner. The prisoner could be a terrorist, political prisoner or general criminal.

The Australian Government does not concede to kidnapper demands under any circumstances.

How the Australian Government can help

The Australian Government is limited in how and when it can help you overseas. We can’t guarantee your safety or provide security and protection. It's important to understand our limits. Read the Consular Services Charter for what we can and can't do.

To contact the Australian Government in an emergency:

• call the nearest Australian embassy, high commission or consulate
• call the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305.

You can get help from the local authorities in the victim's destination. Local police contacts are in each destination's travel advice.

What we can do

Kidnappings are sensitive matters. They involve many parts of the government both in Australia and overseas. If an Australian is kidnapped, where possible, the Australian Government works closely with the government of the country where the kidnapping has happened to try to resolve the situation safely.

We'll tell families what they can expect and give them timely updates to help them make informed decisions. We will also put families in touch with specialist agencies and organisations that can offer practical and emotional support.

What we can't do

• We can't pay ransoms or concede to demands.
• We can't pass on demands to or influence the decisions of a foreign government.
• We can't give you legal advice.
• We can't conduct criminal investigations overseas.

Read more

• Learn more about travel insurance.
• Understand our limits. Read the Consular Service Charter.

See also

• Specialised organisations such as Hostage International can offer practical and emotional support.
• The Business and Government Liaison Unit (BGLU) has advice on reducing the risk of kidnapping overseas (ASIO).
• Information about International Parental Child Abduction (Attorney-Generals Department)
• Learn more about avoiding scams on ScamWatch (ACCC).