The Cyber Crime Directorate of the Bali Regional Police has uncovered an international online scam network operating in Denpasar, which is allegedly controlled by a syndicate based in Cambodia.
According to Antaranews, “This investigation doesn’t stop here. The Indonesian network is part of a single syndicate, connected to Cambodia,” said Head of the Bali Regional Police Cyber Crime Directorate, Commissioner Ranefli Dian Candra, in Denpasar.
Candra explained that the operators involved in the scam worked under the direction of an individual identified by the initials VV, who is based in Cambodia. VV was responsible for providing the names and phone numbers of potential victims to 38 operators working across five different locations in Denpasar.
The perpetrators contacted victims via the Telegram app using various methods, such as pretending to be in need of a conversation partner, claiming to have dialed the wrong number, or proposing business opportunities depending on the target’s profile.
If the victims responded, they would be redirected to VV via a specific Telegram link. Clicking the link would automatically download their personal data, which primarily targeted U.S. citizens.
“We don’t yet know who the victims are, but based on the computer evidence we’ve secured, all the data starts with +1 the U.S. code. That means the targets are indeed American citizens, whether they’re in Indonesia or elsewhere,” he said.
Those arrested were paid USD 200 per month and received a USD 1 bonus for every potential victim’s data they acquired, with all payments made in cryptocurrency.
Initially, five individuals were recruited to act as broadcasters. As the number of victims grew, these five were promoted to team leaders tasked with recruiting new operators. Each location had two leaders managing operations.
The case began to unfold following a public tip-off on June 9, 2025, around 1:00 AM WITA, regarding suspicious activity at a house on Jalan Nusa Kambangan, Denpasar. Upon investigation, officers discovered nine suspects operating a scam using 10 computers.
Based on the suspects’ confessions, four additional locations linked to the same network were identified. Police quickly raided all sites, arresting a total of 38 suspects, 31 men and 7 women and seizing 82 mobile phones and 47 computers.
Bali Police Chief Inspector General Daniel Adityajaya stated, “The investigation started at 1:00 AM on June 9 at a house on Jalan Nusa Kambangan. After confirming illegal activity, a raid was carried out at 9:00 AM.”
The five raided locations were on Jalan Nusa Kambangan, Jalan Nangka Utara Kusuma Sari, Jalan Gustiwa III, Jalan Irawan Gang 2 Ubung Kaja, and Jalan Swamandala III, all in Denpasar.
The network is allegedly controlled by VV, also known as Ami, a foreign national currently in Cambodia. The syndicate operates across three countries—Cambodia as the command center, the U.S. as the victim base, and Indonesia as the operational hub.
In their schemes, perpetrators posed as attractive American women with fake identities to deceive targets. They would then send a Telegram link that extracted personal data. The nature of the crimes ranging from extortion and love scams to identity theft depended on how communication developed.
According to Nusabali, “These suspects have been operating since November 2023. Their job is to collect personal data of U.S. citizens through personal chats and fake links. They said they were recruited with job offers as telemarketers, usually via friends,” said the Police Chief.
Many admitted joining the operation due to economic reasons, lured by the promise of a salary and bonuses. Payments were transferred via cryptocurrency by overseas coordinators.
The suspects are charged under Article 35 in conjunction with Article 51 paragraph (1) of Law No. 11 of 2008, as amended by Law No. 1 of 2024 concerning Electronic Information and Transactions, in conjunction with Article 55 of the Criminal Code. The charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 12 years for unlawful manipulation or destruction of electronic information/documents.
Bali Police are now working to identify foreign nationals involved in the international love scam network. “Preliminary findings show that the operators were controlled by someone overseas, and the investigation continues to uncover the extent of foreign involvement,” said Inspector General Daniel.
Police plan to coordinate with the National Police International Relations Division (Divhubinter) and Interpol to further investigate the network.
Commissioner Ranefli Dian Candra added that the original five perpetrators Noa, Adi, Jimi, James, and Oki had previously received training in Cambodia for similar crimes. They were later entrusted by their boss to lead the Indonesian branch.
“These Cambodia-trained leaders recruited and trained other operators. Though they worked in separate offices, they were all part of the same network. This network operates across Cambodia, the U.S., and Indonesia,” he explained.
Sources: Antaranews, Nusabali.