16 Foreign Nationals in Sukabumi Suspected of Love Scamming
The Directorate General of Immigration has arrested 16 foreign nationals in Sukabumi, West Java, on Tuesday, 14 April 2026.
“The total number is 16 people. These 16 foreign nationals are now detainees at the Sukabumi Class I Non-TPI immigration office,” said Immigration Director General Hendarsam Marantoko at the Immigration office in Jakarta on Thursday, 30 April 2026.
The 16 foreign nationals consist of 12 from China, 1 from Taiwan, and 3 from Malaysia.
He stated that they targeted victims in the United States and operated in Indonesia.
“These 16 suspects are strongly suspected of having carried out love scam practices, love scamming. The victims are actually foreign nationals. They conducted their operations in Sukabumi, with victims in the United States and another location involving two countries, which will be explained later,” he said.
On the same occasion, Director of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement Yuldi Yusman said they are suspected of misusing residence permits.
They are also indicated to have carried out fraudulent activities using the love scamming method, targeting foreign victims, particularly from the United States (US) and Mexico.
He said the activity began with intelligence information received on 29 March 2026 regarding the presence of a group of foreign nationals with suspicious activities in the Sukabumi area.
“Sukabumi Immigration then conducted covert surveillance and profiling from 30 March to mid-April 2026, and gathered evidence in the form of photo and video documentation indicating suspected immigration violations,” said Yuldi.
“The team then moved quickly and succeeded in securing one foreign national at the initial location, along with several electronic evidence items,” he said.
Subsequently, Yuldi said, through searches in the accommodation area to around the beach, officers managed to secure 15 others who had scattered in several locations, bringing the total to 16 foreign nationals secured.
Yuldi said that from the scene, officers seized several pieces of evidence consisting of 50 computer units, 150 mobile phones, as well as network devices such as routers, switch hubs, and LAN cables that are suspected of being used to support organised online fraud activities.
“Based on the examination of the electronic devices, a pattern of activity was found pointing to love scamming practices, namely fraud with an emotional approach through social media, which is then directed to fictitious investments such as cryptocurrency and forex trading,” he said.