Scams in the City: Transgressions of Tolerance
Although some Indonesian transvestites are involved in minor scams, much greater evil comes from bigots who incite intolerance by preaching...
It’ All in the Mind
Hypnotism – when defined as the act of putting someone into a trance and under your control – is not...
Sky High Hijinks
Air travel scams are common, but more worrying is that Indonesian airlines have been ranked among the most unsafe in...
Scum in the Cities
Indonesian law carries a six-year jail term for negligent drivers who cause fatal accidents. But rich kids in costly cars...
Mama Wants Credit, Papa Wants Shares
Police have finally busted one of the most common text message scams in the book; meanwhile, the country’s biggest corruption...
Stranger Danger
Beware of people you meet online. And beware of strangers seeking help. An Indonesian man has been jailed in Australia...
Official Ignorance Is Not Bliss
If Indonesia’s greatest crime of the past century remains swept under the carpet – and cannot even be discussed at...
The Great Degradable Swindle
Consumers in Indonesia will have noticed that plastic bags from leading chains of convenience stores and supermarkets are now labelled...
Playing for Rain
What to do when the country is suffering its worst drought in five years and the Government yet again fails...
Ripping Off Refugees
A photo of a drowned boy sparked an outpouring of international grief, prompting some Western countries to take more Syrian...
You Say You Want a Revolution?
Cybercrime is on the rise in Indonesia. Government critics claim the biggest online scam is an official website promoting President...
Appetite for Destruction
The Indonesian president, the maritime minister and the Supreme Court are all too weak to stop a Chinese mining company...
The Justice Scam
Two teachers wrongly imprisoned on trumped up charges of child sex abuse have been freed, but five cleaners sentenced over...
It’ All About the Money
President Joko Widodo came to power on promises to fight corruption and initiate a mental revolution, but scammers are still...
No Way Out
Papua’s abundant natural resources are a blessing and a curse. As the Indonesian military’s last remaining place to quash rebellion,...
What Price Glory?
It’s official. Batam City, the polluted playground for neighbouring Singaporeans seeking sex, is the best, most attractive and smartest city...
The Immigration Inquisition
Carrying a photocopy of your passport, KITAS or KITAP in Indonesia may no longer be good enough if you don’t...
Winnie the ‘Penipu’
An elderly beggar who wore a tattered Winnie the Pooh costume has been deemed a scammer following reports that he...
On the Job in Jakarta: Meet Andrew Hairs
Meet Andrew Hairs, an executive recruitment specialist, who every year places hundreds of people in new jobs in Indonesia and...
Greed Is Great
Celebrities were among thousands of Indonesians tricked into investing in a fraudulent tissue business that offered unfeasibly large profits. The...
The Fake Rice That Never Was
Lazy journalists, racist netizens and opportunistic politicians almost convinced the world that Indonesia was facing a plastic rice scare. On...