Menimipas: 137 Inmates Suspected of Love Scamming Allegedly Have Networks in Other Prisons

“Rest assured that we will not cover it up. If we wanted to hide it from the beginning, we wouldn’t have reported the information (from the raid) to the Provincial Police Chief,” said Minister Agus during a press conference in Lampung on Monday (11/5/2026). He revealed information from the Lampung Provincial Police regarding an online fraud syndicate using the love scamming modus operandi operating from behind the cells of the Class II B Kotabumi Detention Center in Lampung, which is suspected to have networks in other prisons. He also directed the Director General of Corrections Mashudi to provide the widest possible access to the police, so that this crime can be eradicated completely. “Earlier I received information from the Provincial Police Chief about the possibility that these perpetrators have networks with their friends, inmates in other correctional institutions. I have already directed the Director General of Corrections to gather as much information as possible from the investigation results by our colleagues at the Lampung Provincial Police,” explained Minister Agus. He emphasised that the investigation into the love scamming syndicate from behind the detention center and prisons must be thorough. “We will develop from that information if there are indeed perpetrators in other places,” he added. It is known that the revelation of this case actually began with findings from the Intelligence Security Directorate team of the Directorate General of Corrections of the Ministry of Immigration and Correctional Services (Ditpamintel Ditjenpas Kemenimipas), which was forwarded to the apparatus of Subdirectorate V Cyber of the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Lampung Provincial Police. Internally, Ditjenpas Kemenimipas found 156 mobile phone units suspected to be used for online fraud. “On Thursday, 30 April 2026, Subdirectorate V Cyber received information from the Ditpamintel team of the Ministry of Immigration and Correctional Services regarding the discovery of 156 mobile phones suspected to belong to inmates of Class IIB Kotabumi and suspected to be used as tools for love scamming modus operandi,” explained Lampung Provincial Police Chief Inspector General Helfi Assegaf during a press conference with Minister of Immigration and Correctional Services Agus Andrianto in Lampung. The discovery of hundreds of mobile phones led to the examination of witnesses in each detention block. The examination began on Friday (1/5). He then explained the data on the number of victims: 1,286 people. Victims ensnared by sex video call fraud numbered 671, and victims who had transferred money numbered 249. “The results obtained are as follows: the number of inmates who have been examined totals 145 people, with details of 56 from block A, 36 from block B, 53 from block C. From the examination results, it is strongly suspected that the perpetrators number 137 people,” explained Helfi.