Dozens arrested for Indonesian love scam ring targeting American men
Indonesian police have busted a syndicate in Bali accused of posing as women online to scam American men for personal information.
Indonesian police have arrested dozens on the popular resort island of Bali for allegedly running a love scam syndicate targeting American men, they said Wednesday.
Police made the arrests after being tipped off about suspicious activity at a rented home in Denpasar, the island's capital.
A total of 38 suspects, seven of them women, were arrested.
'They pretended to be women by using women's pictures and fake identity to ensnare their victims,' Bali police chief Daniel Adityajaya told a press conference.
Scam operations linked to Cambodia
The scammers confessed they were working for someone who controlled the business from Cambodia to lure American men to hand over sensitive information, he said.
They chatted up their victims through the Telegram messenger app and sent them fake links.
ALSO READ: Man arrested for using fake Facebook profile to lure, kidnap, and rape women
The suspects were paid $200 each per month to steal the victims' data and information, Daniel said.
A growing trend across Southeast Asia
The suspects, all Indonesians, face up to 12 years in prison if found guilty of violating the country's electronic transaction law.
Police had previously said many scammers had moved to Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries after China cracked down on domestic networks.
In 2019, Indonesian police arrested 85 Chinese nationals and six Indonesians over an online scam that tricked victims out of millions of dollars.
In 2023, they arrested 88 Chinese nationals in Batam, in the Indonesian province of Riau Islands, for running a syndicate that has scammed hundreds of victims in China by luring them into sexual acts and then blackmailing them with video footage.
Many of the victims were public officials, police said.
NOW READ: Wife and lover allegedly fake kidnapping to extort her worried husband in Limpopo
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
eNCA
2 hours ago
- eNCA
Mexican authorities rescue 3,400 trafficked baby turtles
MEXICO CITY - Mexican authorities said they had rescued over 3,400 protected baby turtles stuffed into cardboard boxes set to be trafficked. During a roadblock in the southern state of Chiapas, agents found the critters "in overcrowded conditions" in boxes in a vehicle whose driver was arrested on wildlife trafficking charges, the environmental protection prosecutor's office said in a statement. The baby animals were freshwater Meso-American sliders, native to Mexico, Central America and Colombia. They are protected in Mexico against overexploitation. "The specimens were transported without documentation proving their legal origin, which constitutes a violation of environmental regulations," the prosecutor's office said. The turtles were taken to a specialised unit for rehabilitation and to determine whether they can be released back into the wild.
The Citizen
3 hours ago
- The Citizen
Tshwane mayor vows to fix city's leasing system as illegal business closed during raid
Moya complained that business that were previously shut down by the City of Tshwane have reopened. While the City of Tshwane had its hands full with prolonged power outages and the switching on and off of its own reservoir, Mayor Nasiphi Moya was out on the streets this week with the Reclaim Our City campaign, which resulted in two arrests, illegal businesses being closed and notices issued. The two arrests were for illegal immigration and possession of stolen goods, while three vehicles were also impounded. Eviction notices served in Tshwane On Thursday night, Moya joined the bylaw enforcement operation in Sunnyside, with the Reclaim Our City campaign kicking off at the popular nightspot House 22. 'That club and many other businesses here have been served with eviction notices by the City of Tshwane. These businesses don't have valid permits and many are non-compliant. We were here a few months back and some of those we closed managed to reopen. We are closing them down again,' she said. Moya said the Sunnyside precinct is a strategic area that will be offered to the private sector for investment. 'All illegal businesses here will be evicted from this area. Another store we've closed. The people running this establishment supply food concoctions to predominantly Ethiopian nationals. There's no compliance with health regulations. They also don't have certification legalising the operation of a business. 'This man runs a spaza shop in Sunnyside. His visa states that he is an asylum seeker and, by law, he doesn't qualify to run a business in this city. He can only work and study in South Africa. But here he is overseeing a business operation. We've closed his store,' she added. This man runs a spaza shop in Sunnyside. His visa states that he is an asylum seeker and by law he doesn't qualify to run business in this City. He can only work and study in South Africa. But here he is overseeing a business operation. We've closed his store. @CityTshwane — Dr Nasiphi Moya (@nasiphim) June 19, 2025 ALSO READ: 'Even if it's Chinese, he's in SA' – China Town raid finds expired food, employee hiding in toilet Hijacked properties Earlier this week, Moya and her team discovered hijacked city properties in Danville, which led to the closure of five businesses. Three other premises were found to have illegal electricity connections, while one was found with an illegal water connection. ALSO READ: Pothole crisis: Tshwane mayor blames rain for municipality not fixing crumbling roads Moya said an illegal early childhood development centre, operating for 22 years from a city property without a lease, was also closed. Moya said the City of Tshwane's leasing system has not worked to benefit the municipality's income-generating capacity. 'We are determined to fix this,' she said. NOW READ: R63 million 'wasted' on Tshwane City Hall as historic site crumbles
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
US singer Chris Brown pleads not guilty in UK assault case
US rapper Chris Brown (C) leaves Southwark Crown Court in London after pleading not guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent during an alleged London nightclub brawl in 2023. American R&B singer Chris Brown on Friday pleaded not guilty in a UK court to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent during an alleged London nightclub brawl in 2023. Brown, 36, in a dark suit and tie and wearing glasses, stood in the dock at Southwark Crown Court in London as the charge was put to him, replying: "Not guilty, ma'am." Brown was freed from UK custody last month on £5 million ($6.7 million) bail after his arrest in the northwestern city of Manchester.
