Inmate Controls Padel Racket Business Fraud Worth 300 Million Rupiah from Prison
Jakarta — A case of online fraud affecting a woman named Lenny from Grogol Petamburan, West Jakarta, has exposed an organised criminal syndicate.
The fraud gang embezzled 300 million rupiah from the victim under the guise of a padel racket sales business. Remarkably, upon investigation, it emerged that the fraud gang members were inmates operating from behind prison bars.
“He claimed to be running a limited edition padel racket sales business and asked me to act as a middleman and advance payments for his transactions, requesting that I transfer hundreds of millions,” Lenny told Kompas.com on Wednesday, 11 March 2026.
In executing the fraud, the perpetrator, who is the husband of a woman with initials FR, forged identification documents, hijacked the WhatsApp profile photo of GJ, mimicked phone voice calls, and attached falsified transfer evidence.
Meanwhile, FR, who was initially identified as the perpetrator, turned out to be the wife who received and held the proceeds from her husband’s criminal activity.
“He made me believe through convincing telephone communication and transfer evidence that appeared to be from a buyer who had already made payment, which he showed me,” Lenny explained.
The perpetrator then continued to harass and pressure Lenny before directly blocking the number and disappearing without a trace after Lenny transferred 300 million rupiah.
“I was too late in realising that I had been hypnotised over the telephone and deceived by this person,” she said.
The perpetrator, who initially claimed to be based in North Jakarta, was traced to Langkat Regency, North Sumatra.
That same day, Lenny immediately reported the incident and filed an official police report (BAP) at Grogol Petamburan Police Station.
“On Saturday, from Bali, I made a seven-hour flight plus two hours of ground travel to Medan after confirming the location of the alleged suspect. I stayed one night at a hotel in Medan,” Lenny disclosed.
The following morning, Sunday, 8 March 2026, Lenny went to Langkat Police Station and then requested assistance from the Criminal Investigation Unit of Grogol Petamburan Police Station to come to North Sumatra.