Taking Leaf of Their SanityKenneth YeungMay 9, 2017 by Kenneth YeungMay 9, 201701237A conman has been arrested near Jakarta after fleecing at least Rp.1 billion (US$75,000) from people who believed his “religious...
Understanding ‘Bule Prices’ in IndonesiaIndonesia ExpatMay 4, 2017March 4, 2024 by Indonesia ExpatMay 4, 2017March 4, 202403984A huge price disparity between local and foreign tourists reaching every sector from transportation threatens Indonesia?s tourism industry....
The Rise and Danger of Fake NewsKenneth YeungApril 26, 2017April 26, 2017 by Kenneth YeungApril 26, 2017April 26, 201701953Fake news, a symptom of lazy journalism and deliberate mischief-making, is everywhere. Consequences can be fatal. Many moons ago, “fake...
Fake Diplomas Reflect Indonesia’s Broken Education SystemIndonesia ExpatApril 25, 2017November 11, 2021 by Indonesia ExpatApril 25, 2017November 11, 202105890With chop shops camouflaged as ?foreign-licensed? universities or ?economic institutes?, the demand for fake diplomas is growing in Indonesia....
Hoax Tourism Expo Scams ExhibitorsKenneth YeungApril 11, 2017 by Kenneth YeungApril 11, 201701167There’s a whole industry devoted to making money by exploiting corporate vanity through promotional activities, listings and awards. The ASEAN...
Elaborate Blackjack Scam Targets Unwary ExpatsKenneth YeungMarch 29, 2017 by Kenneth YeungMarch 29, 201702474Tourists in Bali are still getting invited to houses and ensnared in card games in which they lose big-time. How...
German Expat and Indonesian Wife Jailed for Bali Resort SwindleKenneth YeungMarch 15, 2017 by Kenneth YeungMarch 15, 201702988A German and his Indonesian wife convinced an Australian and his Indonesian wife to invest over US$700,000 in the expansion...
Papuans Tricked into Sending Kids to Fake SchoolsKenneth YeungFebruary 28, 2017 by Kenneth YeungFebruary 28, 201702209On February 17, police arrested a woman for holding seven Papuan children, aged four to 13, at a house on...
Aura Explorers Abusing GirlsKenneth YeungFebruary 13, 2017 by Kenneth YeungFebruary 13, 201701971Is negative energy preventing you from achieving your goals or passing a test? Do you want to be more attractive...
Online Dating DeceptionKenneth YeungJanuary 30, 2017 by Kenneth YeungJanuary 30, 201708289Love and lust, facilitated by dating apps, can make people blind to fraud. Indonesia’s dating scene has changed big time...
New Year, Old ConsKenneth YeungJanuary 16, 2017 by Kenneth YeungJanuary 16, 201702327Despite repeated calls for a national ‘mental revolution’, Indonesia remains ripe for scams perpetrated by self-styled holy men claiming magical...
Dirty MoneyKenneth YeungDecember 14, 2016 by Kenneth YeungDecember 14, 201601338When buying votes or buying sex, some people resort to using counterfeit cash. Results can be fatal. The precise amount...
The Old School SwindleKenneth YeungNovember 28, 2016November 28, 2016 by Kenneth YeungNovember 28, 2016November 28, 201601073Police in Jakarta have busted a syndicate that tricked parents into believing their children had been involved in accidents, requiring...
Opinion: Rent-a-Mobs & Religious Red HerringsKenneth YeungNovember 14, 2016 by Kenneth YeungNovember 14, 201601083(Note: The views, anecdotes and opinions in this article belong to the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of...
Pulling Your LegKenneth YeungNovember 2, 2016 by Kenneth YeungNovember 2, 201601485Some creative beggars are posing as amputees in order to elicit more sympathy. Meanwhile, one gang is kidnapping children and...
Jakarta Man Withdraws Fake Money from ATMNadya Joy AdorOctober 19, 2016 by Nadya Joy AdorOctober 19, 201602568A man in South Jakarta was surprised to find one of the bills he withdrew from a Bank Mandiri ATM...
King Con: How Dimas Kanjeng Graduated from Tricks to MurderKenneth YeungOctober 17, 2016October 17, 2016 by Kenneth YeungOctober 17, 2016October 17, 201603276A con man who pretended he could magically double people’s money was just operating a Ponzi scheme cloaked in religious...
Environmental Scams: Blue and Green Aren?t GoldKenneth YeungOctober 4, 2016 by Kenneth YeungOctober 4, 201601298Alternative energy is big business, so it’s no surprise that it attracts controversy, scandals and scams. It seems just about...
Financial Planners from HellKenneth YeungSeptember 19, 2016September 30, 2016 by Kenneth YeungSeptember 19, 2016September 30, 201601564(UPDATE 9/30/16: This article has been retroactively updated to remove identities of individuals and specific company names that have been...
A Magnet for Cyber ScammersKenneth YeungSeptember 7, 2016 by Kenneth YeungSeptember 7, 201601333In the past five years, Indonesia has arrested hundreds of Chinese and Taiwanese nationals for cybercrime. Why are foreign cyber...
Scams in the City: Love BugsKenneth YeungAugust 24, 2016 by Kenneth YeungAugust 24, 201601330People are still falling prey to online romance scams. An aspiring lawyer and a wealthy socialite are among the latest...