Couple running East Jakarta wedding organiser accused of scamming clients via promotional packages

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Criminal Investigation Unit (Satreskrim) of East Jakarta Metropolitan Police has uncovered the modus operandi used by a married couple who own a wedding organiser (WO) to defraud prospective couples through promotional wedding packages. East Jakarta Metropolitan Police Criminal Investigation Unit Chief AKP Bayu Kurniawan explained that victims first became aware of the WO’s services through advertisements on Instagram social media. ‘At first, victims encountered the wedding service advertisements on Instagram. They then became interested and proceeded to communicate directly with the admin via WhatsApp,’ said AKP Bayu Kurniawan at the East Jakarta Metropolitan Police headquarters on Monday. ‘The attention-grabbing advertisements led to private communication via WhatsApp.’ ‘According to Bayu, during WhatsApp communications, the suspects offered various promotional wedding packages at prices deemed attractive to potential customers.’ ‘During the WhatsApp exchanges, the suspects presented promotional offers for wedding packages to the victims,’ Bayu added. ‘Regarding reports from victims in Bekasi, Bayu stated that his office would coordinate with local law enforcement authorities.’ ‘He said that if local police handle the reports, the investigation can proceed in a coordinated manner.’ ‘Should there be victims reporting in Bekasi, investigators there will coordinate with us regarding the handling here. If the Bekasi investigators wish to question the suspects we have detained, we welcome that,’ Bayu explained. ‘The alleged wedding organiser fraud case adds to a long list of scam practices disguised as wedding services that have recently become prevalent.’ ‘Therefore, Bayu urged the public to be more discerning and cautious before deciding to use wedding service providers.’ ‘In this instance, the East Jakarta Metropolitan Police Criminal Investigation Unit advises the public to exercise caution when selecting a wedding organiser. Check whether the WO is properly verified and has a good track record,’ Bayu said. ‘Additionally, the public is urged to be wary of wedding packages priced significantly below market rates.’ ‘According to Bayu, unusually low offers should be viewed with suspicion as a common tactic to lure potential victims.’ ‘And check whether the offered package prices are reasonable. If they’re too cheap, don’t rush to trust them as this could be a scam,’ Bayu added. ‘The East Jakarta Metropolitan Police are currently continuing their investigation to uncover the full extent of the case, including possible additional victims and losses from the alleged fraud.’ ‘The two suspects face charges under Article 492 of the Criminal Code on fraudulent acts and Article 486 on embezzlement, each carrying a maximum prison sentence of four years.’