Police Bust Syndicate Using Toothpicks to Jam ATMs in West Jakarta

The West Jakarta Metro Police have apprehended a syndicate specialising in ATM theft using a ‘jamming’ method. Four perpetrators were arrested after executing a scheme that involved trapping victims by using toothpicks to obstruct ATM card slots.

“The suspects belong to an organised syndicate. Some members monitor the area from the outside, while two others remain on standby at the ATM. The role of the two individuals at the ATM is to first obstruct the card slot using a toothpick,” stated West Jakarta Police Chief, Kombes Nasrimadi, during a press conference at the West Jakarta Police Headquarters on Tuesday (1/9/2026).

In this case, the police arrested four suspects identified by the initials FR, AP, AF, and TH, each performing a specific role. “The first role is to assist in swapping the card at the ATM. The second role is to observe, monitor, and memorise the victim’s ATM PIN. The third role is to monitor the external situation. The fourth acts as a driver to facilitate rapid movement from one ATM to another to drain the victim’s funds,” he explained.

Nasrimadi explained that the perpetrators were highly organised. The modus operandi began by inserting a toothpick into the ATM card slot, preventing the victim’s card from being inserted properly.

“When the victim becomes confused, one of the perpetrators approaches, pretending to offer assistance, saying, ‘What is the problem, Ma’am/Sir? Why won’t the card go in? Let me help you,’” he said.

In this situation, unsuspecting victims would hand their ATM cards to the perpetrator. In a split second, the perpetrator would swap the genuine card for a fake one. “The perpetrator quickly replaces the card; the original is kept by the perpetrator, while the victim is left with the fake card. After the victim attempts to use the fake card, another member of the syndicate specifically watches to observe the victim entering their PIN,” he added.

Because the card is fraudulent, the machine typically displays messages such as ‘Your card cannot be processed’ or ‘Please contact your bank.’ However, the accomplice has already memorised the victim’s PIN. Once the perpetrators obtained the genuine card, they would immediately move to another ATM to drain the account. Since the initial report in February, police have calculated the total losses to victims at hundreds of millions of rupiah.

“Based on developments from the suspects, they have carried out this crime twice. We are processing this based on a police report from February 2026, with total losses amounting to approximately Rp 205 million,” he concluded.