Bandung Wedding Organiser Scams Hundreds of Brides and Vendors, Owner Still at Large

The West Java Regional Police are investigating a suspected fraud case involving a wedding organiser with the initials SCR in Bandung Regency, which has harmed hundreds of prospective brides and grooms as well as several vendors. “There has been an alleged criminal act of fraud and/or embezzlement committed by SCR against victim Sunsun Nugraha Tasdik and other victims,” said West Java Police Public Relations Head, Commissioner Hendra Rochmawan, in Bandung on Wednesday. Hendra explained that the victims had previously ordered wedding packages from the reported party. During the process, SCR requested a down payment as a booking fee, which was paid in stages via bank transfer to an account under the reported party’s name. “The incident began when the victims ordered wedding packages from the reported party, who then requested a booking fee or down payment. The money was handed over in stages via bank transfer to an account under SCR’s name,” he stated. However, after the victims had completed their payments, the reported party allegedly did not forward the payments to the vendors who had been contracted to fulfil the wedding requirements. “When the payments had been settled by the victims, the reported party did not pay the vendors as promised,” Hendra said. As a result, several vendors were unable to provide the services and wedding necessities as agreed. He noted that this situation forced the prospective couples to spend additional personal funds so that their wedding ceremonies could still take place. “When the victims discovered that the reported party had not paid the vendors, the couples ultimately held their weddings using their own funds,” he added. Hendra further stated that SCR’s whereabouts are currently unknown and the police are still searching for the individual. “When the victims went to the reported party’s house, it was discovered that the reported party was no longer there and their whereabouts are unknown,” he said. In this case, investigators are applying suspected criminal charges of fraud or deceitful acts as stipulated in Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code, namely Article 492 and/or Article 486 of the Criminal Code.