inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The East Java Regional Police have uncovered an international love scam syndicate that defrauded 53 Indonesian citizens (WNI) across various regions, causing total losses of IDR 1.1 billion through fake romantic relationships on social media.
"Today, we from the East Java Regional Police's Cyber Directorate, in collaboration with immigration officials and the Sidoarjo Sub-regional City Police, have successfully uncovered an alleged online love scam, also known as love scamming," said the Director of Cyber Criminal Investigation of the East Java Regional Police, Senior Superintendent Bimo Ariyanto, in Surabaya on Monday (6/22/2026).
In this case, the police have named two foreign nationals and one Indonesian citizen as suspects for their active roles in the online fraud network.
This syndicate targeted female victims aged 45 to 60 through social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, establishing emotional relationships that mimicked romantic relationships before carrying out the scam.
After establishing a relationship, the perpetrator promised to send high-value gifts, but the victim was later contacted claiming the package was being held at customs or facing administrative issues, and was asked to send money to cover the release costs.
Based on the investigation, there were at least 53 victims across Indonesia, with 22 victims from East Java spread across areas such as Surabaya, Gresik, Madiun, Pacitan, and Sampang.
"This case has been ongoing since August 2025. From account tracing, investigators discovered a flow of funds of approximately IDR 1.1 billion, suspected to have originated from the fraud," he said.
One of the perpetrators, a foreign national, used a fake identity named Haji Kamal Zaki to convince the victim through intensive communication via repeated video calls, phone calls, and instant messages.
"We urge the public to be more vigilant against romantic relationship-based fraud on social media that results in requests for money under various pretexts, especially regarding the delivery of goods from abroad," he said.
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