Civil servant in Riau scammed by 'lucky ruby stone' scam, loses money and car

An Indonesian civil servant in Siak Regency, Riau, has fallen victim to a scam involving a ‘lucky ruby stone’, according to the Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit at Siak Police, Assistant Commissioner Raja Kosmos. The victim suffered losses of hundreds of millions of rupiah after being deceived by a four-person syndicate.

The case was reported by the victim, identified as Z, alias ATAN (54). All four suspects were arrested on Monday, 25 May 2026, in Bukit Raya District, Pekanbaru City, Kosmos added.

The perpetrators, identified as UN, IS, DR, and YFP, executed the scam with precision, each playing distinct roles to convince the victim. They fabricated a story that the victim was destined to own a valuable ‘lucky ruby stone’ worth billions of rupiah. The suspects demonstrated the stone by placing it in water, causing it to emit a red glow to gain the victim’s trust.

The victim was then accompanied by the suspects to collect payment. During the trip, they persuaded him to sell his car and its original BPKB (vehicle registration document) at a Pekanbaru car showroom for Rp50 million. After receiving the cash, the suspects invited him to pray at a mosque, where he was instructed to leave his cash-filled bag, wallet, mobile phone, and other valuables in their vehicle under the pretence that carrying items into the mosque was prohibited. Upon returning from prayers, the suspects’ vehicle had vanished, and the victim realised he had been scammed.