According to the plan, kidnap teams were to invade the vacation homes of Swarovski and her close friend Werner Baldessarini in the resort town of Kitzbuehel. Although details are sketchy, apparently the abductors were to take Baldessarini, a fashion designer and former executive with the Hugo Boss clothing company, in case they did not find Swarovski at home. The plot, another kidnap-for-ransom scheme targeting the wealthy, underscores the need for potential victims to take precautions against this type of crime.

In announcing the discovery of the scheme in late October, Austrian authorities said it was hatched by a Romanian organized crime gang led by an inmate at Innsbruck's Garsten Prison known only as Steliza S. The plot fell apart after another inmate, one recruited by Steliza S. into the scheme, divulged the information to prison authorities. A subsequent search in Steliza S.'s cell turned up cell phones, which allegedly were used to coordinate the plot with gang members outside of jail.

The gang's possession of detailed information about the targets' homes, including photographs and details about the alarm systems, indicates this was an inside job, possibly hatched in collusion with household staff or employees. An acquaintance of one of the gang members who had access to the homes and knowledge of the intended victims could have passed this information on to the gang.

The targets' high visibility also made it easy for the plotters to collect intelligence on them. Swarovski, whose name is clearly associated with the family's line of fine crystal, leads a jet-setting lifestyle among Europe's social elite. As a result, her photograph is much desired by paparazzi. Baldessarini is an equally well-known icon within Europe's exclusive social circles.

Although it is not always possible for the wealthy to avoid the public eye, it is important that they take precautions to reduce their vulnerability to crimes such as extortion and kidnapping. A first step in accomplishing this goal is to deny potential assailants the information they need to plan their crime. It is vital, for example, to closely guard personal information, such as itineraries, addresses, the location of children's schools and privileged household information. In addition, the services of a professional executive protection team should be used.

Had the ringleader's fellow inmate not reported the plot to the authorities, it unlikely would have been discovered in time to prevent the abduction. As a result -- especially in light of Eastern European criminal gangs' reputations for ruthlessness -- the victim could easily have been harmed, either during the initial abduction operation, during ransom negotiations or in the process of the release.

This latest incident serves as another warning to prominent people of their vulnerability to this kind of crime. Maintaining a lower profile, vetting household staff and using protective services are ways to mitigate this threat.