UCSB Student Victim to Kidnap Scam

UC Santa Barbara student Jinhua Li was assumed missing earlier this week, with concern heightened about his whereabouts due to a ransom call allegedly received by his family. It was determined by the County Sheriff’s Office to be a scam.

The Reddit feed for UCSB fed rumors about Li, detailing his disappearance and claiming what was a potential ransom call had been received by his family. A missing person report was filed at the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

UCSB spokesperson Andrea Estrada stated on June 22 that the university had responded to the social media post. They determined Li was not missing, and the university could disclose no more information due to student privacy rules.

The Sheriff’s Office responded to reporters’ inquiries on June 25, stating Li was located and unharmed, and the ransom claim was a scam.

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