Meet Ashraf: the Asylum Seeker from Iran
Meet Ashraf. That?s not his real name. And he?s not your typical expat, being an Iranian asylum seeker who calls...
Meet WenFei
Meet WenFei, a mainland Chinese woman who manages a massage, spa and beauty salon in Jakarta’s Chinatown district of Glodok....
We Haven’t Learned a Thing
It is almost a year since I wrote my first Scams column for Jakarta Expat and there is no shortage...
Mystery Meats
What’s a Jewish dilemma? Pork at half price. That was one of the first jokes I heard during a visit...
Last Chance to See?
An unspoiled island off the northern coast of Sulawesi is scheduled for partial destruction despite a Supreme Court ruling that...
Taxi Troubles
New arrivals to Jakarta are often warned to be on the lookout for taxi scams. The truth is that cab...
Lifesaving Initiatives Against Methanol
With Christmas and New Year almost here, plenty of people will be taking the opportunity to engage in some festive...
Preying on Prostitutes
A churchgoing keyboardist posed as a playboy and robbed at least 24 high-class prostitutes in four cities, until he made...
Faking It on the Phone
A slow-witted colleague came to me with a request for help last week. He had telephoned a sex chat line...
Faking It
Advances in computer technology and printing are making it easier to forge money. One of the hardest details to fake...
This is an Ex-Tortoise & Other Abused Animals
Indonesian internet forums trading in exotic fauna are rife with complaints from people who feel scammed because the creatures they...
Small Change, Big Scam
In recent months I have been repeatedly short-changed at minimarts, mostly at Indomaret, which started business in 1988 and now...
ATM Transfer Traps
For some smooth-talking confidence artists, there?s no simpler way to make money than telephoning someone and tricking them into transferring...
Not-So-Real Estate
Renting a house, apartment or holiday accommodation can become a nightmare if you fall victim to a real estate scam....
Jakarta’s Bucket List
We all know about Monas, cheap electronics, Kota Tua?s museums, the Highland Gathering and cycling down Sudirman on a Sunday...
Glittering Sharia Pyramids
Julisar, a Jakarta-based Chinese Indonesian businesswoman, thought she was onto a winner when a friend invited her to invest $100,100...
Meet Grace Clapham
Meet Grace Clapham, a woman who is inspiring and advising women entrepreneurs in Indonesia and across the Asia-Pacific. You...
Scams In The City: Degrees of Deception
Regulations on qualifications for expatriate English instructors have been tightened over the past decade, so some teachers are resorting to...
Can’t Eat, Busy Begging
It’s that time of year again, when beggars converge on Jakarta to make money during the fasting month of Ramadhan....
Reclaiming the Jihad
“If you don’t like it here, then why don’t you go back to your own country?” Those are words that,...
Scams In The City: Fake Concert Tickets, Please.
Jakarta is becoming an increasingly popular destination for international music acts. And for every big concert, scammers are ready to...