Man posing as Westlife member takes widow for a ride
Man posing as Westlife member takes widow for a ride
Theresa Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor
A widow with two children, said to be under the influence of
hypnosis, became the victim of a fraud allegedly perpetrated by a
man claiming to belong to the Indonesian Air Force. He gave the
woman the picture of a member of pop band Westlife, which he said
was a photo of himself taken during his college days.
The man, Wawan, 45, is currently being hunted by the North
Bogor Police after allegedly getting away with Rp 6.5 million
cash and home appliances belonging to the victim, Jumbuh
Warsiati, 26.
The two first met on the Sinar Jaya bus on Sept. 22 while en
route to the town of Banjarnegara in Central Java. Two days
later, Wawan visited Jumbuh at her house in Ciparigi village,
Bogor, where he spent the night.
Before he left, he gave the victim the photograph of Mark, a
Westlife band member, as something to remember him by, before
allegedly taking Jumbuh's tape recorder.
"Because Jumbuh was under hypnosis, she believed what he said
and even fell in love with him," said Mrs. Rohmad, the owner of
Jumbuh's rented house.
On Sept. 26, Wawan returned and told Jumbuh he had proposed to
her parents and paid Rp 15 million as a dowry. When he left, he
allegedly took Jumbuh's other electronic appliances and a
mattress.
Jumbuh's younger sister, Anti, tried to warn her sibling that
she had been targeted for fraud, but the love sick Jumbuh ignored
her.
Wawan returned again on Sept. 27, asking Jumbuh to provide Rp
6.5 million for transportation money.
She immediately went to her neighbors to borrow the amount
requested by Wawan, and afterward took him shopping at the Jambu
Dua plaza.
Wawan asked for another Rp 10 million before leaving.
Mrs. Rochmad became more suspicious and criticised Jumbuh, who
then came to her senses.
The landlady's next step was gathering residents together to
capture Wawan on his next visit.
Instead of going to the house, Wawan sent two other men, Pendi
and Viki, to collect the money. The two were soon beaten by the
residents, who also destroyed their minivan before turning the
two over to local police.