Arrested Liberian Nationals Targeting South Korean Citizens with Black Dollar Scam in West Jakarta

Police are still investigating a counterfeit money fraud case involving the “black dollar” or black dollar modus operandi, which implicates two foreign nationals (WNA) from Liberia with initials SDT and I. Police revealed that the victim in this case is also a foreign national from South Korea.

“The individuals were secured for committing a criminal act of fraud against another foreign national from South Korea using the black dollar modus operandi,” said Head of the Public Information Sub-section of the Public Relations Division of Metro Jaya Police, Kompol Andaru Rahutomo, to reporters on Friday (27/3/2026).

Based on the victim’s report, the incident took place from September to December 2025. However, the victim only realised they had been scammed on 8 March 2026 and filed a police report at the West Jakarta Metropolitan Police Resort.

Currently, both Liberian nationals have been designated as suspects. They are being held at the West Jakarta Metropolitan Police Resort.

“This is still being calculated (the losses). Whether this continued, in stages, this is still being calculated by the West Jakarta Metropolitan Police Resort,” he said.

The two foreign nationals were arrested while eating at a restaurant in one of the apartments in West Jakarta. They were apprehended on Wednesday (18/3). In a video seen by detikcom, personnel from the Criminal Investigation Unit of the West Jakarta Metropolitan Police Resort approached the restaurant and found SDT and I eating in a room inside the apartment building.

Officers then showed the arrest warrants to both of them. After that, the officers asked them to raise their hands for a body search.

Quoted from the official CBP website, black dollar or black dollar is described as the fraudulent black money paper resembling US currency in size and sometimes feeling similar when held. However, the black dollar will appear like black, blue, or white paper when checked under ultraviolet light.

In black money scams, the perpetrators usually fabricate a story about the money’s colour changing due to chemicals to avoid detection by Customs authorities. The perpetrators then fabricate a story about needing cash and offer the black dollars to the victim at a discounted price.

The perpetrators will explain how the victim can “wash” the colour of the banknotes to reveal the actual US currency. The perpetrators usually mix genuine money with black money to convince the victim more. The black banknotes are counterfeit money.