Jakarta. Police have exposed an online love scam operation in Jakarta, arresting 20 suspects. The perpetrators used fake identities to lure victims into a romantic relationship, only to deceive them into investing in cryptocurrency through a fake app.

Rezeki R. Respati, Head of Metro Gambir Police in Central Jakarta, detailed how the scam unfolded. The fraudsters initially contacted victims on dating apps like OkCupid, Bumble, and Tinder, using attractive photos of other individuals to pose as men. Once they gained the victims’ trust and affection, the scammers moved their conversations to WhatsApp, where they convinced victims to invest in cryptocurrency through a fake app called "Wish."

"The fraudsters promised returns of 10 to 25 percent on investments, convincing their victims to deposit money into the app," Respati explained during a press briefing on Tuesday.

The victims, primarily middle-class women working as professionals such as lawyers and doctors, were deceived into making significant investments. The suspects are believed to have been operating for approximately two months, and the authorities are still investigating the total financial losses incurred.

Police have arrested 20 individuals involved in the scam, including three leaders of the operation. The leaders, identified by their initials INB, AKP, and RW, oversaw the operation, while the rest of the suspects, whose names include MAM, MAAN, RN, and others, played the role of operators. Authorities are also searching for one suspect, AJ, believed to be a foreign national from China.

The authorities have also confiscated significant evidence, including financial data and materials linked to cryptocurrency transactions. Investigators are still working to determine the full extent of the scam’s financial impact, particularly regarding the cryptocurrency investments.

The police have revealed that most of the victims came from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand, with ongoing efforts to uncover any local victims in Indonesia.

"We are still investigating the victims in Indonesia and the full scope of the losses," Respati concluded.