Police Expose Forged Vehicle Documents and Warn of Dangers of Fraudulent Used Vehicles
The Directorate of Registration and Identification (Ditregident) of the National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas Polri) has urged the public to exercise greater caution when purchasing used motorcycles or cars, following a surge in cases of forged Vehicle Registration Certificates (STNK) and Motor Vehicle Ownership Books (BPKB) uncovered across various regions.
Brigadier General Wibowo, head of Ditregident Korlantas Polri, emphasised that vehicle document forgery constitutes a serious crime that can cause material and legal harm to the public. Consequently, citizens are urged to verify the authenticity of vehicle documents before completing transactions.
“The National Police urge the public to exercise greater care when purchasing used vehicles. Ensure that vehicle documents such as STNK and BPKB are genuinely authentic by conducting verification at Samsat or through available official services,” Wibowo stated on Monday (9 March).
In February, the South Kalimantan Regional Police successfully uncovered a vehicle document forgery operation. The investigation revealed a criminal network forging STNK and BPKB documents operating across multiple provinces, including Central Java, West Java, East Java, Yogyakarta, Bali, and Kalimantan.
From this investigation, police confiscated 20,000 forged STNK and BPKB sheets and 20 four-wheeled vehicles suspected of being fraudulent. Six suspects were arrested—four in Central Java and two in South Kalimantan—with roles as document manufacturers, sellers, and marketers of the counterfeit materials.
According to the investigation, the syndicate operated by purchasing vehicles with defaulted loan or leasing payments. These vehicles were then provided with forged STNK and BPKB documents to enable resale to the public via social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp.
The syndicate reportedly earned approximately 100 million rupiah monthly from this illegal operation. In some cases, the suspects allegedly collaborated with debt collectors who would seize vehicles from problematic customers but, instead of returning them to leasing companies, would resell them with forged documentation.
Based on these findings, Korlantas Polri has highlighted distinguishing features between authentic and counterfeit vehicle documents.
Authentic BPKB holograms are grey and do not change colour when held to light, whereas counterfeit versions typically turn yellowish. Authentic documents use thicker, higher-quality paper, while forged documents are generally thin with blurred printing.
Furthermore, authentic STNK and BPKB documents contain scannable barcodes linked to the police data system. The National Police emblem on genuine documents is also raised to the touch and clearly visible under ultraviolet light. Counterfeit documents typically lack these features or have non-functional versions.
Wibowo recommended several preventative measures before purchasing used vehicles to avoid becoming victims. These include conducting physical vehicle inspections at the nearest Samsat office through assistance services, verifying document authenticity via the Samsat application or official online services, and being cautious of vehicles offered at significantly below-market prices.
“We urge the public not to be easily enticed by low prices. Conduct direct verification at Samsat so that document authenticity and vehicle identity can be confirmed. This step is essential to protect the public from the risk of purchasing vehicles with forged documents,” Wibowo stated.
Wibowo further indicated that Korlantas Polri will intensify surveillance and coordinate with regional police units to eliminate vehicle document forgery practices that harm the public and undermine Indonesia’s motor vehicle administration system.