selling useless knickknacks pretext that they contain magical powers remains strong activity in Indonesia. scammers Bolder perform tricks simple magic to con the unwary out of their money and valuables.
If you have visited the historical district of Kota Tua Jakarta, you probably spent the vendors selling polished stones and supposedly ancient daggers. Some traders insist these trinkets can provide the owner with success in business and relationships, and even invulnerability to disease and weapons.
All applications are magical talismans, of course, absurd primitive garbage, but there are many people who subscribe to the superstition rather than science.
A group of six crooks based near Kota Tua exploited the public's penchant for talismans. Operating from Jalan Jembatan Batu - the street from the shopping center Mangga Dua e -. They motorists or pedestrians carrying the targeted value of goods
The victims were shown "magic" of agate stones and nails, and were then encouraged to test the powers of an element holding the and walk a few hundred meters down the street. They were told not to turn around "or the magic would not work." Once the victim was far enough, the gang would quickly steal their car or motorcycle, or whatever valuables they had left on the sidewalk.
Police arrested six gang members in the night of 25 when they stole a Toyota Avanza April.
'Batu akik' ( agate) are believed to possess special powers and are often worn on rings.
a similar scam took place in Jakarta last year during the excitement of the city for men batu akik (agate) rings. Two motorcyclists scammers would stop the pretext of asking for directions. They would then give the motorcyclist a ring of agate in appreciation, but said that his magical powers only work if the carrier market during first 200 steps without looking back. - Allowing them to steal the motorcycle unattended
Water Marks
Nonsense magical powers can come in any form, even water. On April 18, police in southern Kalimantan arrested two swindlers, who claimed they could use magic water to multiply money. We asked victims to pay exorbitant amounts for water "rare" that could be sprinkled on money to make it grow.
Abdul (41) and Rusli (55) scored an estimated rp.1 billion scam since 2014. Their latest victim was David (37), a resident of Banjarbaru city, south of Banjarmasin. On April 12, he gave them Rp.70 million after they promised magic water could transform money Rp.3 billion.
Under police interrogation, the duo said they had operated in 14 locations in South Kalimantan and East Java in the past two years, the fraud amounts ranging from Rp .8 million to Rp.200 million.
Needle Work
A group of emerging conmen in the city of Central Java Magelang Feb. 28 used a patter persuasive and simple sleight of tower hand to defraud two teenage girls on their jewelry and valuables worth millions Rp.22.19.
The leader of the band was Jayanto Rehan (27) from Tangerang in Banten Province. Its prop opening for con was an ornament inscribed with Arabic calligraphic text. He claimed he was a precious family heirloom with magical powers, while it had cost him only a Rp.2,000 Tangerang market.
High school students Miyati (17) and Sastia Damara (17) were sailing through clothing in a department store when Rehan Matahari approached and asked for directions to the Department of the local culture. He explained that he wanted experts to examine its legacy talisman. The girls said they did not know the address. At this point, an accomplice of Rehan Yones Putra (32), posing as a helpful local, came and said he could take them to the Ministry of Culture. Rehan invited the girls to accompany him, but suggested that they should first have a meal together in a Popeye Chicken Express restaurant nearby.
The restaurant Rehan played the role of a shaman. He held the hands of the girls and said he could see the needles stuck inside their bodies.
He said he could remove the needles if the girls began to collect their valuables from their homes. Teenagers were in line and then met back with the crooks, this time in a restaurant called Desa Cantika. Rehan asked the girls to put their property on the table. He then pretended to remove a needle from one of the girls. He said an orange allow him to remove the remaining needles, so that the victims got up and went to a fruit shop. When they returned, the two men had disappeared with their valuables. Three other accomplices, who were acting as spotters, also fled.
The gang scored five rings, three bracelets, a Samsung Galaxy phone, a Toshiba laptop, watch and wallet. Police arrested the swindlers a week later in a hotel in Yogyakarta.
Rehan said it was his first crime, he committed because he was unemployed and had bank debt of Rp.20 million, and because his family had often been victims of fraud.
Powerful Prayer
Iswan Gunawan (52), a fabric supplier native Banyumanik in Central Java, moved to the South Kalimantan capital of Banjarmasin in late 2015 to try his luck in business. Soon he turned to scamming. In January, he met a man named Anang Suriansyah (65) and promised to use a magic prayer to double his money.
The House of Anang inside Iswan sitting cross-legged on the floor and received Rp.1.57 million, he wrapped inside an Islamic shroud. Iswan then turned his back to the victim - under the pretext of reciting some Islamic verses - while secretly passing the envelope with another of his bag. He then asked Anang to wait for three days and the money would be doubled. Then he told Anang to go to market with him to buy seven kinds of flowers and coffee to enhance the magic.
wifeAnang was suspicious and opened the envelope. Inside, she found a small pile of Rp.2,000 notes. When her husband and Iswan market return, she confronted them about the fraud. Iswan scarpered to his motorcycle. Anang shouted for help from the local population, who managed to catch the crook and assaulted before handing it to the police.
Iswan insisted he had only done once the scam, it was 10 years ago in central Kalimantan port timber town of Sampit, and had only taken over the crime because he could not make enough money selling tissue.
Pickings remain ripe for charlatans as long as people believe in magic, but the risk of being beaten by an angry mob or overzealous policing crooks should think twice before making their towers.