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Scams in the City: Love Bugs
People are still falling prey to online romance scams. An aspiring lawyer and a wealthy socialite are among the latest victims. The voice was feminine, alluring and fake. On June 16, a prospective...
View ArticleA Magnet for Cyber Scammers
In the past five years, Indonesia has arrested hundreds of Chinese and Taiwanese nationals for cybercrime. Why are foreign cyber criminals flocking to Indonesia and what is the precise nature of their...
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Financial Planners from Hell
Whether they’re recommending investments in sustainable timber or top-end wine, some financial planners are just out to fleece you. When you’ve worked hard for your money, the last thing you want is...
View ArticleEnvironmental Scams: Blue and Green Aren’t Gold
Alternative energy is big business, so it’s no surprise that it attracts controversy, scandals and scams. It seems just about anyone can be taken in by a hoax, especially when it has an environmental...
View ArticleThe Root of All Evil
A travel agency has scammed millions of dollars from Muslims who wanted to visit Mecca. Victims are now clamouring for reimbursement. With religion being compulsory in Indonesia and Islam being...
View ArticlePolice Bust Bogus Bruneian Businessman Scam
Beware of helping friendly strangers wanting to use your bank account for business or charitable purposes, especially if they try to entice you with a commission. Jakarta Police in August busted a gang...
View ArticleManufacturing Hatred
Punishing those who propagate radical hate-speech is not enough. Their ultimate paymasters must be named and brought to justice. President Joko Widodo’s face is photoshopped onto a female dog. On his...
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The Online Virginity Auctioneer
A man who auctioned virgins online claims he merely wanted to fund a sexual revolution to free Indonesia from corruption, poverty and violence. Few people are buying it. Aris Wahyudi (49) was arrested...
View ArticlePhony Document & Sweepstakes Hustles
Imagine finding a cheque for US$350,000, or picking up a winning sweepstakes ticket on the street. Too good to be true? Yes, it’s an all-too-common scam in Indonesia. Police have arrested a group of...
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How to Get Poor Fast
One of the most popular ways to get rich in Indonesia is through politics. There are endless possibilities for self-enrichment through abuse of power. When anti-corruption investigators come knocking,...
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Sexploitation, Lies and Video
Amid the almost daily allegations of sexual abuse by Hollywood celebrities, there is an understandable response of condemnation and moral indignation. In Indonesia, a few actors and singers have faced...
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Delving into the Dark Web
Much has been written in Indonesia about the ‘deep web’ and the ‘dark web’ – much of it ill-informed scaremongering. Typical of this is an article headlined “5 Risks of Entering the Internet World’s...
View ArticleSwipers Still Swiping
Despite the ongoing efforts of Islamic political parties to criminalize sex outside of marriage, Indonesians are still flocking to online dating apps in search of intimate encounters, making them...
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Online Arisan Exposed
A simple Facebook page lured hundreds of Indonesians, mostly housewives, into investing their savings in a scheme offering unfeasibly high returns. It was a classic pyramid scheme, dressed up as an...
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Designer Bag Deceit
Let’s be honest. A handbag is just something in which to carry makeup, car keys, tampons, sunglasses, perfume and a purse. It should be durable and practical, even stylish, but it should not cost...
View ArticleMy Uncle the Police Chief and Other Lies
Imagine you’re choosing a career. Would you cough up Rp300 million (US$25,400) for a job with a starting salary of just Rp1.56 million (US$113) per month, rising to Rp5.6 million (US$407) if you...
View ArticleThose Possessed By Demons?
The weighty Indonesian dictionary compiled by the Education Ministry defines kesurupan as “ possession by Satan or spirits, resulting in strange actions ”. It’s when people shriek and shake,...
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Hatching Hoaxes
Indonesia made international tabloid headlines a few weeks ago when it was reported that a teenage boy from South Sulawesi province had laid 20 eggs over the past two years. British tabloids reported...
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Jember Friendship Ambassador Scammed by Foreigners
I once asked a long-time Australian expatriate why he had made Indonesia his home for over 40 years. Was it the business opportunities? The social life? The temperate climate? He thought for a moment...
View ArticleCorrectional Crimes
Inmates at a jail in Bandung were running a scam for two years in which they seduced women online and then blackmailed them. How can crime be so rampant in correctional institutions? Let’s start by...
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