Online Loan Debt Collector Makes Fake Fire Report to Collect Debt, Semarang Fire Department Furious

The Semarang City Fire Department has decided to take legal action by reporting the perpetrator of a “prank” or hoax fire incident to the police. Secretary of the Semarang City Fire Department, Ade Bhakti, emphasised that false reports exploiting emergency services for personal interests cannot be tolerated. “We cannot accept actions like this. Emergency services should be used for situations that truly require them, not for terrorising or personal interests,” he said. This firm step was taken after the suspected perpetrator, believed to be an online loan (pinjol) debt collector, showed no goodwill in apologising. The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon, 23 April, when a report of a fire at Nasi Goreng Mas Adi stall on Jalan WR Supratman was received, prompting the fire department to dispatch two fire trucks to the location. According to him, a similar case had occurred in 2024, but then the perpetrator came in person and apologised. Unlike this incident, he said, the perpetrator showed no responsibility despite being given the opportunity. “We have opened mediation channels. The condition was for the perpetrator to come in person for clarification and to apologise, but it was not done. Therefore, we have decided to take this case to the legal realm,” he said. The fire department has reported the case to the Semarang Police Headquarters, and the perpetrator faces charges under Article 220 of the Criminal Code regarding false reports to authorities. Meanwhile, the Head of Operations and Rescue Division of the Semarang City Fire Department, Tantri Pradono, explained the chronology of the incident, stating that the report came through the fire department’s call centre about a fire at Nasi Goreng Mas Adi stall. “Upon receiving the report, we immediately moved according to SOP. We sent two units to the location. However, after checking, there was no fire,” she said. After investigation, she said, the stall owner suspected that the report was the work of a pinjol debt collector or debt enforcer aiming to pressure him. “We confirmed with the stall owner. He said the report was made by a pinjol debt collector to intimidate him over an online loan debt issue,” she said.