Hundreds Suspected Victims of Luxury Housing Development Scam in West Bandung

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, WEST BANDUNG – More than 100 people are suspected to have become victims of a scam involving the construction of the Emeralda Resort housing estate in Padalarang, West Bandung Regency (KBB), West Java. The houses that have been eagerly awaited for years have not been built by the developer despite payments already being made.

As of Monday (4/5/2026) afternoon, 103 consumers who feel deceived have joined a community of suspected scam victims. The case came to light after the buyers realised that construction progress at the site had stalled since mid-2025.

The Emeralda Resort housing project remains dominated by vast empty land and piles of earth. At the front, only a gate, security post, office, and a few show houses have been built. Meanwhile, at the hilltop section, several land plots have been prepared through cut and fill work.

Renny Meutia, one of the victims, said she was initially tempted to buy a unit in the Janet Park cluster at The Emeralda Resort for Rp720 million about four years ago, in mid-2022, due to the attractive house design and stunning views.

She was promised that the house unit would be completed within three years, and she had paid the full amount as per the offered price. However, 36 months later and with the house instalments fully paid, the Janet Park cluster site still has not been built.

“If it were me, I’ve already paid Rp720 million in full. The house should have been completed by July 2025. But when we went there, there was nothing yet. Just cut and fill,” Renny said when contacted on Monday (4/5/2026).