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
It’ All in the Mind
Hypnotism – when defined as the act of putting someone into a trance and under your control – is not...
No End to the Stupidity
The perennial black dollar scam is back in the news. This time, the apparent victim is a Navy officer who...
The Executioners & the Graveyard
Indonesians are being royally scammed when law enforcers use their power to attack opponents of the country’s endemic corruption. “Five...
Online Romance Extortion
Should you ever have the misfortune to become an inmate of an Indonesian jail, you quickly learn that regular funds...
Sexual Healing Swindle
Want to get rich quick? Or cure an illness via alternative healing? Then think twice before visiting a friendly dukun...
Golden Goose Chases
Indonesians from all walks of life are still prone to investment scams. Why? Mainly because of a lack of awareness...
For Better or For Worse
Weddings attract a range of scams, from disappearing contract wives to fake proposals and bogus planners. Arab sex tourists have...
Car Theft Hoaxes
“There’s a new method of car theft,” a colleague breathlessly told me last week. “Thieves throw an egg at your...
Money Politics
Vote buying is risky business, especially for candidates who fail to get elected and cannot repay their debts. Yet the...
God Help Us
With religion being compulsory in Indonesia, the country is fertile ground for scammers seeking easy money under the guise of...
Taxi Troubles
New arrivals to Jakarta are often warned to be on the lookout for taxi scams. The truth is that cab...
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....
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...
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....
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...
Scams in the City – Internet Boyfriends
Nigerian Sweetheart Unlike most scams coming from Nigeria that rely on greed, the Sweetheart Scam preys on heart-strings to loosen...
Scams in the City
Being scammed by a confidence trickster is one of the most embarrassing things a person can admit to – apart...