Dirty Money
When buying votes or buying sex, some people resort to using counterfeit cash. Results can be fatal. The precise amount...
scams in the city
The Old School Swindle
Police 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 Herrings
(Note: The views, anecdotes and opinions in this article belong to the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of...
Pulling Your Leg
Some creative beggars are posing as amputees in order to elicit more sympathy. Meanwhile, one gang is kidnapping children and...
King Con: How Dimas Kanjeng Graduated from Tricks to Murder
A 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 Gold
Alternative energy is big business, so it’s no surprise that it attracts controversy, scandals and scams. It seems just about...
Financial Planners from Hell
(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 Scammers
In the past five years, Indonesia has arrested hundreds of Chinese and Taiwanese nationals for cybercrime. Why are foreign cyber...
Scams in the City: Love Bugs
People are still falling prey to online romance scams. An aspiring lawyer and a wealthy socialite are among the latest...
Pokémon NO?
Love it or hate it, Pokémon GO’s augmented reality is the future of gaming. It’s also a magnet for scammers....
Scams in the City: Fashion Police
Indonesian police are seeking to improve their image by wearing navy blue shirts emblazoned with the slogan Turn Back Crime....
Scams in the City: Don’t Lose Your Goat
Sometimes it’s just not worth reporting a crime in Indonesia. A few weeks ago, I was robbed on a Jakarta...
No Google Award, Just a Rape Ad
Police in Lampung province have been left with egg on their faces after announcing they were to receive an award...
Scams in the City: Car Trouble
Buying a car online or ‘winning’ one as a prize can be risky business in Indonesia, but even more risky...
Hypochondriacs & Hypocrites
What to do if you face trial or jail in Indonesia but you’re too big a coward to take responsibility...
Hocus Pocus
Selling useless trinkets under the pretence they contain magical powers remains brisk business in Indonesia. More daring scammers perform simple...
Rotten Reviews & Bogus Bookings
A holiday should be all about unwinding by replacing any stress with serenity and relaxation. Unfortunately, scammers in the hospitality...
Scams in the City: Property Pitfalls
A property agency in Jakarta has been scamming expatriates by renting out apartments for terms longer than actual leases. “Quality...
Scams in the City: For Worse
Weddings, an essential rite of passage in Indonesia, remain a source of scamming and discontent. It was supposed to be...
Scams in the City: The Punisher
It is often said the Indonesian judiciary is rotten to the core. But there is one Supreme Court judge who...
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...