Bali Police Uncover Cruel Cyber-Scam Operation In Tourism Hotspot 

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Bali Police have confirmed that they have uncovered, arrested, and detained 38 people in connection with an organized cybercrime gang in towns across the island.

Police suspect the cybercrime gang has been in operation since November 2023 and has been targeting US citizens.

The scam, referred to as the Love Scam, or the Love Scam Network, has been found to be a type of catfishing scheme whereby cyber criminals based in Bali operate online using fake profiles of women to extort and lure money out of victims who believe they are in a romantic relationship.

The network has been found to be operating in Indonesia, Cambodia, and the USA.

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More details about the raids and arrests were shared in a press conference hosted by Inspector General Daniel Adityajaya, who was accompanied by the Director of Cyber Polda Bali, Kombes Pol Ranefli Dian Candra.

Adityajaya told reporters, “The investigation of this case began on June 9th at 1 a.m. in one of the houses on Nusa Kambangan Street. After confirming that there was illegal activity, at 9 a.m., [the property] was ambushed.”

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Adityajaya continued “Nine people were secured at crime scene two. Crime scene three was secured by six people. Crime scene four was secured by eight people. Crime scene five was secured by six people. In addition to securing 38 suspects, officers also confiscated 82 units of cellphones of various brands and 47 units of computer devices that were used to commit crimes.”

The network is believed to be controlled by an individual who is believed to be in Cambodia, and known only by their initials VV.

Police Chief Adityajaya told reporters “These suspects have been operating since November 2023. They are in charge of searching for personal data of US foreigners via personal chat and fake links. They admitted that they were recruited with a job offer as a telemarketing, information from friend to friend.”

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The cyber scammers were encouraged into their roles with the promises of a salary of USD 200 per month and a USD 1 commission for every viable data point they gathered from a potential victim. Each cyber scammer was paid in cryptocurrency. 

Police Chief Adityajaya further explained, “From the results of the temporary examination, the operators were controlled by someone who was abroad so that further investigations continued to be carried out to uncover the involvement of foreign citizens in this case.” 

The 38 individuals who have been arrested now face up to 12 years in prison if found guilty. They have each been charged with Article 35 of Article 51 paragraph (1) of Law Number 11 of 2008 as amended to Law Number 1 of 2024 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions Jo Article 55 of the Criminal Code. 

Speaking at the press conference the Director of Cyber Polda Bali Kombes Pol Ranefli Dian Candra added “These Cambodian leaders recruit and train other operators. Although they are different offices, they are all one network. This network is connected with three countries, namely Cambodia as the center, America, and Indonesia.”

While Bali Police have successfully arrested 38 individuals in connection with the Love Scam, the organized crime group is just one of many such groups on the internet who are operating similar schemes. All internet users are advised to regularly check in with the latest advice around online safety and scam alerts.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner explains Catfishing is a cruel and embarrassing trick, but there are some things you can do to prevent it or stop the harm from getting worse.

eSafety added, “Look out for people who seem ‘too good to be true’ and other warning signs – like their online profile doesn’t really match the way they chat or act, they have a low friend count on social media or they want to get sexual very quickly.”

Another telltale move of online scammers is to move the conversation from one app to another quickly, as this can help reveal to the scammer the phone number, location, and other valuable data points as well as help to create a deeper sense of connection and familiarity with the potential victim.