Jakarta. The National Police announced on Tuesday that they have uncovered an international syndicate that has operated for the past two years, scamming hundreds of victims with fake job offers.

The suspected mastermind, a Chinese national identified by the initials ZS, was arrested in Abu Dhabi with the help of Interpol and handed over to the Indonesian Police, who requested his arrest on December 1, 2023. Three Indonesian citizens are also in custody for their roles in the job scams.

The police said the syndicate operated in Indonesia, China, Thailand, and India.

“The total number of victims in Indonesia alone reaches at least 823 between 2022 and 2024,” said Brig. Gen. Himawan Bayu Aji, director of the cybercrime unit of the police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim).

The syndicate has amassed at least Rp 59 billion ($3.6 million) from its Indonesian victims, he said. The total amount stolen from victims in China, India, Indonesia, and Thailand is estimated at Rp 1.5 trillion ($92.8 million).

One of the suspects, identified by the initials NSS, was arrested in August last year and has already been convicted and sentenced to three and a half years in prison, Himawan told a news conference at the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta. NSS worked as an Indonesian language interpreter for ZS.

The suspects advertised job vacancies through messaging services such as WhatsApp and Telegram, offering easy-paid tasks like watching, liking, or subscribing to social media posts. However, job seekers were required to first deposit money into websites designed to look like major social media platforms.

"They were offered high fees, but once they deposited the money, it couldn’t be withdrawn, and the websites disappeared,” Himawan said.

According to the investigation, the syndicate employed 17 Indonesian nationals, 10 Thai nationals, 21 Chinese nationals, and 20 Indian nationals who mostly operated from Dubai.

Another suspect in custody was tasked with arranging the transportation of Indonesian nationals to work illegally in Dubai. He is charged under the human trafficking law, Himawan said.

The fourth suspect worked as an operator who lured victims in Indonesia from Dubai.

“The case is very challenging because the main suspect is a foreign national. However, thanks to good cooperation and diplomatic relations, he was finally arrested in Abu Dhabi,” said Chief Commissioner Dani Kustoni, a deputy at the cybercrime unit.

Efforts to seize assets from the syndicate could be complicated because they are mostly kept in Dubai.