Former FBI agent reveals five expert tips to help you survive a KIDNAPPING situation – and the most dangerous thing you can do if you are abducted
A former FBI agent has revealed five tips to keep in mind if you ever find yourself in a kidnapping situation.
Bill Daly, who served as an investigator out of the FBI’s New York offices for a decade, now offers advice on dealing with criminal activity based on insights he’s gained from his decades of work in security.
The pair spoke together with former secret agent Michael Verden Fox news to break down five strategies people can use to get out of a kidnapping situation.
The experts also revealed the most dangerous thing you can do if you are kidnapped.
A former FBI agent has revealed five tips to keep in mind if you ever find yourself the victim of a kidnapping (stock image)
First, simply maintain awareness of your surroundings, also known as situational awareness.
Make sure that strangers are not within arm’s reach in public, but keep everyone at least one and a half meters away.
Obviously in a busy environment this may not be possible, but in areas with less population density there is no reason why someone you don’t know should be in your personal space.
“If it’s a busy area, chances are you won’t get kidnapped. If you are in a remote area, the risk of kidnapping is more serious,” Daly said.
In practice, this also means not wearing headphones or talking on the phone in potentially vulnerable circumstances.
“People love to walk on the sidewalk. I understand that, but if you’re not familiar with the area, you need to unplug,” he advised.
He also emphasized that it is wise never to get into a car with someone you don’t know.
People have been abducted by fake taxi drivers especially outside the US, especially at travel hubs such as airports, he added.
‘I travel a lot. When I leave the airport, I call Uber or Lyft. “I don’t care if it looks like a taxi, I don’t know if it is one unless you go to a taxi stand,” he reasoned.
Along with former secret agent Michael Verden, the pair spoke to Fox News to list five strategies people can use to get out of a kidnapping situation (stock image)
Secondly, the expert urged people to do whatever it takes to prevent a potential kidnapper from taking you to a second location.
Initially, simply causing a commotion and being as loud as possible can be an effective deterrent to opportunistic criminals.
The more problems you appear to be in, the less likely they will be to go through with the kidnapping.
Most kidnappings in the US are not for ransom, but rather for “sexual assault or violence that could lead to your demise,” Daly explains.
In any public place, “you have to yell or scream to draw attention to yourself,” Daly said.
‘In a public place there is a greater chance that you will not experience any damage than in a more secluded place.’
However, if you find yourself in a remote location, “it is in your best interest to fight back,” he added.
That said, Verden said, if it’s clear you’re going to be overwhelmed, fighting back may not be a good choice.
“If it’s a female and the male is twice her size, she can fight, but there’s a point of no return or returns diminishing — you can make it worse,” Verden said.
‘I provide a lot of pro bono training at schools. “I can’t tell a third grader to fight with a gun, but I can tell an adult to fight a person with a gun.”
If your kidnapper manages to force you into a vehicle, a good move is to get the attention of other drivers on the road, which is best done at traffic lights.
The metal part of a seat belt can be used to break a car window, usually requiring several blows to the glass.
Here’s how to do that, according to the Emergency Dispatch Diary: ‘With the seat belt pulled out as far as it will go and the metal clip clutched in your fist, if you hit the side window low and at the front of the window, it will break the window almost every time on the first or second try.’
Still, it would be an even better idea to take with you a car window breaker, which is available in the form of a keychain.
Third, the experts shared that if you have been kidnapped, you should stay as aware of your surroundings as possible.
Even sitting in the trunk of a car, you can notice things like how many turns a car makes, Verden suggested.
Likewise, sounds (such as trains or traffic) or even smells, such as a “paper factory or a bakery,” can become crucial clues to where you are being taken.
Fourth, it is important not to lose your cool.
“If you’re still aware, you still have all your powers,” Verden said.
“If you stay calm, instead of crying or yelling at the kidnapper, the kidnapper will see that. That could improve the victim’s relationship with the kidnapper,” he reasoned.
And if there is an opportunity to use the “Signal for help” – a hand gesture created by the Canadian Women’s Foundation – doing.
To make the gesture, with your palm facing the person or camera you want to signal, place your thumb over your palm and close your hand.
Fifth, of course, use your phone when possible – not just to make calls, but also to discreetly share your location.
In May, a woman from Texas with a flat tire was kidnapped by a man who had offered to drive her to get a new tire.
When it became clear he had no good intentions, she shared her location with a friend. The man then drove into the parking lot of an apartment complex and began sexually assaulting the woman.
However, she managed to escape from the car and, following the second tip, started making noise and shouting for help.
And indeed, the commotion prompted the man to flee the scene and quickly drive away.
Since her friend had her location, it was easier to find her after the crime occurred.
Police later arrested him in the same parking lot where the crime had occurred.
In the US, most kidnapping victims are children.
To help in the immediate aftermath of a kidnapping, Daly recommended parents download FBI’s Child ID Appwhich stores photos and vital statistics about one’s child so that they can be immediately reported to authorities if they are taken.
