Generally, K&R policies are most appropriate for high-profile individuals, such as celebrities or wealthy businesspeople in the public eye, and those who travel to places where kidnapping is common, including Brazil, Colombia, the Philippines, Mexico and Russia. (Indeed, these countries are generally more likely to harbor kidnappers than those in the Middle East, with the exception of Yemen.) If we travel on business, our companies will often provide the coverage we need; however, we should understand the extent of coverage and any unusual provision—say, opt-out clauses for travel to certain highly dangerous venues—in our corporate policies before we travel.

Closer to home, it is tempting to think that only celebrities are targets. But insurers say this is not the case; indeed, celebrity abductions usually attract the most media (and police) attention, which is often what kidnappers want to avoid. Celebrities also typically have professional security staff. More typical are kidnappings of lower-profile but nonetheless wealthy individuals, often in mundane locales like suburban Connecticut. Edward Lampert, the chairman of hedge fund ESL Investments, was kidnapped in January 2003 in his office parking garage after his captors found his name on the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans, with a net worth then estimated at $800 million. He luckily escaped harm when his captors, who turned out to be something short of masterminds, used his credit card to order a pizza and were quickly rounded up.