Police Uncover Online Arisan Scam Worth Rp71 Billion, Hundreds Fall Victim
The East Java Regional Police (Polda Jatim) have uncovered a fraudulent online arisan case worth Rp71 billion, naming JNK, a resident of Bali, as a suspect, and seizing three cars while tracing other assets related to the crime.
“The investigation began with a report from a victim who joined an online arisan through social media,” said Director of Cyber Crime at Polda Jatim, Senior Commissioner Bimo Ariyanto, in Surabaya on Wednesday.
Police then traced the suspect’s financial transactions from June 2025 to July 2026 and found a fund turnover of Rp71 billion.
The suspect promoted the arisan programme through an Instagram account by offering large profits and claiming the arisan was safe and legal.
Prospective members were directed to join a WhatsApp group and asked to send their personal identity, a photo of their identity card, and their social media accounts.
“In the promotion, the suspect included various statements about the safety, trustworthiness and legality of the arisan, such as 100 percent certified, the safest and most trusted arisan, a consistently trustworthy owner, and real testimonials,” he said.
Bimo explained that the suspect offered a descending arisan programme and BLW (Beli Lelang Wisuda).
In its implementation, the suspect was assisted by three administrators tasked with verifying data, promoting the programme, maintaining the WhatsApp group, and reminding members about payments.
“To maintain member trust and make it appear as though the arisan slots were filled by real members, there was a member name UO used to fill fictitious empty slots,” he revealed.
According to him, the fictitious member name was used to make the arisan look active and running normally, thereby attracting new members.
In the early stages, some members did receive payouts, but after the number of members grew and a large amount of funds had been collected, the suspect became difficult to contact and disappeared.
“Initial findings show there are 140 victims with the same modus operandi from various regions in Indonesia. For those from East Java, there are currently five people,” he said.
One victim reportedly suffered losses of more than Rp800 million. Police are also still tracing the possibility of other assets and parties involved in the fraud network.
“We are still tracing assets related to the criminal acts committed by the suspect and his network. In addition, we will also summon a number of public figures who were endorsed to promote the arisan,” he said.