Gold Sales Scam Syndicate Controlled by Inmates in North Sumatra Prison Uncovered

The East Java Regional Police’s Cyber Crime Directorate has uncovered an online fraud syndicate operating under the guise of a gold bullion promotion, controlled from correctional facilities in North Sumatra. Five suspects have been named, four of whom are inmates.

‘This afternoon, the East Java Police Cyber Crime Directorate is presenting the results of an investigation into an online fraud case involving a gold bullion sales promotion, which is a matter of public concern,’ said East Java Police Head of Public Relations, Commissioner Jules Abraham Abast, during a press conference in Surabaya on Monday, 3 August 2026.

Director of Cyber Crime for the East Java Police, Commissioner Bimo Ariyanto, identified the suspects by the initials ICS, MAH, I, SYR, and RML. ICS is an inmate at Nusakambangan prison who was previously held in a facility in North Sumatra. MAH, I, and SYR are inmates in North Sumatra, while RML is not a prison inmate.

Commissioner Ariyanto explained that the case began when the victim received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number claiming to be their child. Once trust was established, the perpetrator offered gold bullion at IDR 2.35 million per gram, significantly cheaper than the market price of around IDR 2.8 million per gram. The victim then purchased two 50-gram gold bars for a total transaction value of IDR 587.5 million and transferred the money to an account under the name RML, as instructed by the perpetrator.

‘The victim only realised they had been scammed after their husband contacted their child and discovered that the number which had messaged them did not belong to their child,’ Bimo stated.

The investigation revealed that ICS and MAH prepared the tools to carry out the fraud using the WhatsApp Sniper application, GetContact Premium, and virtual communication applications to contact victims. Suspects I and SYR prepared the bank account under RML’s name, while RML acted as the owner and administrator of the account receiving the proceeds of the crime.

Investigators seized mobile phones, bank account details, ATM cards, digital wallet accounts, and jewellery believed to be derived from the criminal proceeds. The East Java Police are also investigating the possibility of other victims. Investigators have so far identified at least five other victims in East Java with a similar modus operandi, with total losses estimated at IDR 3.7 billion.