Kulon Progo Man Arrested for Selling Fake IELTS Certificates for Australian Work
A man with the initials GDZ, a resident of Kulon Progo, has been arrested by the police following allegations that he sold fake IELTS certificates to facilitate work in Australia. Total losses are estimated to have reached Rp 40 million.
The Head of Criminal Investigation at Kulon Progo Police, Inspector Subihan Afuan Ardhi, stated that the perpetrator offered services to create IELTS certificates without the need to sit for the actual exam. One such fraudulent incident occurred last May, where victims were charged varying fees ranging from Rp 3.85 million to tens of millions of rupiah.
“The perpetrator offered victims that he could help them obtain IELTS certificates as a requirement for working in Australia without taking the test. Victims were then asked to pay an agreed amount,” Subihan told reporters on Friday (26/6).
Subihan explained that the perpetrator convinced victims by claiming to have a contact in Bandung who could produce the certificates. However, investigations revealed that the person mentioned did not exist.
“In fact, the IELTS certificates were created by the perpetrator himself using an application on his mobile phone. The certificates provided to the victims were forged documents,” he said.
Once the certificates were produced, Subihan noted that the perpetrator would send digital copies to the victims and request payment as agreed. Furthermore, the perpetrator lured victims with promises of being registered for jobs at several companies in Australia.
“The perpetrator promised victims they would be registered to work in companies in Australia. Believing these claims, some victims had even proceeded to arrange passports, visas, and other requirements, thereby increasing their total losses. In reality, the perpetrator never registered any victims with any companies in Australia,” he revealed.
Police seized evidence from the suspect, including the fake IELTS certificates, proof of transfers, and an Infinix mobile phone believed to have been used to forge the documents.
For his actions, the perpetrator faces charges under Article 45A paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 28 paragraph (1) of the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law, as well as Article 492 of Law Number 1 of 2023 regarding the Criminal Code (KUHP) related to fraud.
“If members of the public wish to work abroad, they should first consult with the Manpower Office or BP2MI to obtain accurate information and avoid falling victim to fraud,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Head of Unit I of the Kulon Progo Police Criminal Investigation Unit, Inspector Rifai, explained that these activities had been ongoing for almost a year.
“Based on the perpetrator’s confession and the digital trail on his phone, he has been conducting these activities for nearly a year. There are currently five recorded victims, most of whom are located in Central Java,” he stated.
Rifai added that the perpetrator had amassed approximately Rp 40 million. Additionally, victims incurred further expenses for processing work requirements for Australia, such as passports and visas.
“The total amount received by the perpetrator is approximately Rp 40 million. However, the victims’ losses are not limited to the money paid to the perpetrator, as they also spent funds on processing passports, visas, and so on, making the total loss much higher. Some victims spent up to Rp 35 million, while others spent Rp 20 million, and so forth,” he concluded.