Man Arrested in Jembrana for Impersonating Social Services Officer and Misusing President Prabowo's Name

A man who falsely claimed to be a social services officer has been arrested in Jembrana, Bali. The impostor even misused the name of President Prabowo Subianto to deceive residents.

“It is true, the suspected perpetrator has been detained,” stated Jembrana Police Chief AKBP Kadek Citra Dewi Suparwati on Tuesday (30/6/2026).

The fraudulent activity came to light after a potential victim, using the account Muhammad Imam S, posted a chronology of the alleged scam on social media. The incident occurred at Imam’s home in Pulukan Village, Pekutatan District, Jembrana, on Monday (29/6).

In his post, Imam recounted that the fake social services officer initially arrived under the pretext of inquiring about land ownership in the local village. The man then claimed he was conducting a survey to distribute aid worth Rp 125 million to underprivileged residents.

The impostor alleged that the hundreds of millions of rupiah were direct assistance from President Prabowo. The perpetrator subsequently asked the victim for money, citing administrative fees so that the aid could be disbursed immediately.

“Then, with his persuasion, he asked for a registration fee to purchase revenue stamps and a folder containing a stamp directly from the Social Services office, amounting to Rp 375,000, and he demanded it on the spot,” Imam wrote in his post.

Due to the fantastic aid amount and the pressure to pay immediately, Imam became suspicious. He quickly asked his wife to report the matter to the Pulukan Village head.

The report was then forwarded to the Community Policing Officer of the Pekutatan Police Sector. It did not take long for officers to arrive at the location and apprehend the fake social services officer before he could escape with the victim’s money.

Citra confirmed that the Jembrana Police are still investigating the suspected fraud. According to her, the perpetrator is currently detained at the Jembrana Police Headquarters for intensive examination.

“We are still investigating this case. We will officially disclose the details later,” Citra added.

Citra suspects this was not the first time the scam was attempted. The Jembrana Police are developing the case as it is suspected there are other victims ensnared by a similar modus operandi.

Based on initial information, several residents in the Melaya District area have reportedly become victims, suffering losses. “We are currently waiting for official reports from members of the public who feel they have been harmed,” Citra concluded.