Jakarta – A woman sought for her involvement in an international job scam ring was apprehended at the airport after arriving from Dubai, police reported on Friday.
Indonesian authorities had previously requested Interpol to detain her wherever she was located. The woman, identified by the initial L, is the fourth individual arrested in recent weeks linked to a job scam syndicate operating across at least four countries.
Authorities were tipped off about her arrival at Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on Wednesday, prompting a police team to make the arrest.
“We confirmed her identity at Terminal 3, identifying her as the subject of a red notice issued on November 23, 2023,” stated Chief Comr. Alfis Suhaili from the National Police’s cybercrime unit.
The suspect, originally from Sukabumi, West Java, worked for the syndicate in Dubai from May to August of last year, earning a monthly salary of 3,500 dirhams (approximately $953).
“She wasn’t initially recruited by the group. She traveled to Dubai to visit a relative and seek employment but ended up working for the syndicate,” Alfis explained.
Her role involved training to send mass messages, manage social media accounts, and communicate with targeted individuals.
Earlier this week, police also announced the arrest of three other suspects, including the alleged group leader, a Chinese national identified as ZS, with assistance from Interpol.
The syndicate had advertised job opportunities through messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, promoting simple tasks such as liking or subscribing to social media posts. However, job seekers were required to deposit money into fraudulent websites mimicking legitimate social media platforms.
Once the funds were transferred, the syndicate would withdraw them, and the websites would vanish.
Authorities revealed that the scam network operated in Indonesia, China, Thailand, and India.
“The total number of victims in Indonesia alone is at least 823 between 2022 and 2024,” noted Brig. Gen. Himawan Bayu Aji, director of the police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim).
The syndicate has defrauded Indonesian victims of approximately Rp 59 billion ($3.6 million). Overall, the estimated total stolen from victims across China, India, Indonesia, and Thailand amounts to Rp 1.5 trillion ($92.8 million).
Investigations have shown that the syndicate employed 17 Indonesian nationals, 10 Thai nationals, 21 Chinese nationals, and 20 Indian nationals, primarily operating from Dubai.
Another suspect in custody is charged with facilitating the transportation of Indonesian nationals for illegal work in Dubai, facing charges under the human trafficking law, according to Himawan.
