people are still plagued by online romance scams. A budding lawyer and a wealthy socialite are among the latest victims.
The voice was feminine, seductive and false. On June 16, a prospective lawyer named Aris Munandar (23), from Kemanggisan in West Jakarta, received a phone call from a woman who identified herself as Jacqueline 'Elin' Michelle. She found his phone number and photo on . and wanted to discuss.
Over the next two days, they shared more phone calls. Romance blossomed, especially after Elin mentioned that his father was a member of the Sampoerna family, which used to own one of the largest Indonesian tobacco companies.
Aris fell further in love when Elin sent some enticing pictures of herself. What he did not know was that his dream woman was actually a balding 44-year-old little man, who had swiped sexy photos of another . account.
Harsyah Muhad Armal Samaun scammed women with his talent for disguise his voice
Harsyah Muhad Armal Samaun is a man with a talent for disguise his voice. Posing as Elin, he persuaded Aris Rp.100,000 to transfer the credit to their phone. Aris was soon ask to meet in person, so "Elin" said her first date with one of his father's employees, who was none other than Harsyah.
They met on June 20 near the Harsyah rented room in Senen, Central Jakarta. Harsyah conveyed a message from Elin, saying she wanted a discreet meeting in a hotel room, as she was afraid of being seen in public by journalists. Aris gave the scammer Rp.1.2 million to pay for a hotel room.
Harsyah booked a cheap room at the Hotel Farel two star Senen. Aris moved but Elin never happened. Instead, she called to apologize for his absence. She said she wanted to marry, but warned that his parents insist on a dot.
Claiming to act as an intermediary, Harsyah Aris instructed to inform his parents that he had impregnated Elin, so they would be more willing to pay a dowry. That night, Aris went to his parents to tell them the exciting news, then he returned to the hotel, but his dream woman did not appear.
Over the next few days, Elin telephoned with sweet words and love and marriage promises, keeping Aris brutalized. He gave Harsyah rp.1 million in cash and Rp.5.5 million for the purchase of 8 grams of gold jewelry. Harsyah went out and bought realistic fake gold bracelets and necklaces.
Harsyah later called Aris from another phone and asked the mother of Elin, saying that 8 grams of gold was inadequate. She wanted at least 10 grams of gold for her daughter. Harsyah also made calls posing as the father of Elin and her older sister, both pushing for a dowry Rp.17.5 million and marriage license fee of Rp.700,000 so the wedding could go to the before.
Another day, Aris received a call from Harsyah posing as Ki Joko Bodo shaman celebrity. He said that marriage would bring great benefits to Aris.
On June 28, Aris had handed Rp.35.5 million. He eventually became suspect. On July 2, he said Harsyah he needed to leave the hotel to withdraw more funds. He never returned. On July 18, he went to the police, complaining that he had been duped, hypnotized and held captive. Harsyah was arrested early the next morning.
Police initially thought they needed to track down a band of thieves confidence, including some women, but confessed Harsyah acting alone and demonstrated his gift for voices. He now faces charges of kidnapping, forcible confinement, extortion and fraud.
For Love and Money
A Polish man in Jakarta would have combined the "sweetheart scam" and "black dollar scam" to con Rp.1.3 billion (US $ 99,000 ) on a rich lady, Sari Wahyuni.
Sari received a message on . from a US handsome name Mark Collins. The fact that his name and the name seemed to be mixed should have been a gift. He claimed to be widowed, working as "surgeon commander" in Central Texas Medical Center. They quickly exchanged phone numbers and began a romance via the online chat the . application.
Pawel Cwiklinski was stopped to ask as a diplomat in a scam friend who extorted an Indonesian wealthy woman
On June 22, Mark said he sent US $ 2 million in cash to Sari. But first, she had to pay Rp.94 million to "a US diplomat" stationed in Jakarta for shipping. The phony diplomat was a Pole named Pawel Cwiklinski (36). Then Sari was invited to transfer Rp.2.375 billion to buy a special "cleaning fluid" to wash the dollars that had been dyed black. There has never been real dollars, but Sari provided half of the funds requested.
As applications have continued for more money, Sari cottoned she had been conned and went to the police. Cwiklinski was arrested June 29 in green residential complex Lake City in West Jakarta. Police seized seven mobile phones, two online banking fees BCA, a BCA card, e-KITAS, some counterfeit US dollars in the amount of $ 280, a container of unspecified chemicals laptop MacBook and just over rp.1 million in cash.
Jakarta police official Hendy Kurniawan said officers were still seeking accomplice Cwiklinski, Mark Collins, and was put on a wanted list.
There does not seem to dawn on anyone Cwiklinski could have acted alone and that Mark never existed. Mark Collins is an old name in online romance scams.
Elsewhere in Indonesia, people have been spoofing . accounts of provincial governors, motivated by greed or mischief. Earlier this year, police said they found ten fake accounts on behalf of the governor of West Nusa Tenggara, made by people who are trying to raise funds. In March, a fake . account in the name of the Governor of Bali contained display: "Reclamation continue because I have approved and received a gratuity of Rp.500 billion, which is quite a lot for a pension."