Rp20 Billion Civil Servant Recruitment Scam in East Java Expands to Central Java, Allegedly Involving Officials

The alleged fraud case involving the recruitment of Civil Servant Candidates (CPNS) in East Java, which has resulted in losses amounting to tens of billions of rupiah, has entered a new phase. The syndicate’s activities are believed to have expanded to Central Java, following the discovery of new victims in the neighbouring province. Furthermore, the case has begun to implicate officials from several agencies.

Legal counsel for the victims, Ketut Surya Putra, revealed that the escalation of the case is evident from the discovery of additional victims outside of East Java. This fact was disclosed after investigators from the East Java Regional Police conducted examinations of the victims.

“There are several other victims who wish to report alongside us. However, they remain hesitant and fearful that their money will not be recovered. Consequently, they have decided to file their reports in Central Java,” said Ketut after accompanying his clients at the East Java Regional Police Headquarters in Surabaya on Wednesday (30/9).

Ketut emphasised that although the location of the incidents and the residence of the reporting victims are in different provinces, the actors behind this fraudulent practice point to the same syndicate and the reported individual, OP, who is the owner of the job training institute PT PTC located in Sidoarjo, East Java.

Regarding the indications of this cross-province network, the legal team plans to establish communication with victims in Central Java to consolidate the chronology and strengthen the investigation’s framework.

The high value of the losses and the expanding reach of the syndicate’s operations are strongly suspected to be linked to the interference of certain officials in facilitating the fraud. Ketut stated that his team has already coordinated directly with the relevant institutions.

“At this stage, the victims and our team have not taken any drastic measures against the officials from those agencies. However, we have coordinated with the institutions to ensure we address this issue in a more constructive manner,” Ketlar stated. “They have provided a good response and are willing to cooperate in resolving this matter.”

Of the five victims accompanied by Ketut Surya Putra’s legal team, material losses have reached Rp2.9 billion. Ketut noted that this figure is only a small portion of the estimated total losses caused by the CPNS fraud syndicate, which is believed to exceed Rp20 billion.

Despite transaction evidence and chat histories being submitted to investigators, the reported party has shown uncooperative behaviour. Ketut explained that the reported individual has ignored invitations for mediation to reimburse the victims’ losses and has yet to be questioned by investigators.

Rather than attempting to resolve the matter through amicable means, Ketut stated that the reported party, OP, has instead issued threats. “The reported party intends to report one of our victims in retaliation. We do not know the basis for this, but if they report us, we will face it,” concluded Ketut.

Previously, the East Java Regional Police admitted they are investigating reports of alleged fraud disguised as a CPNS recruitment programme, which is suspected to involve active military personnel. The losses from this case are estimated to reach Rp20 billion.

In August, the Head of Public Relations for the East Java Regional Police, Kombes Jules Abraham Abast, stated that the report was received through the Integrated Police Service Centre (SPKT) of the East Java Regional Police on Monday (10/8). The report, registered under Number: LP/B/1067/III/2026/SPKT/POLDA JAWA TIMUR, is being processed in accordance with applicable legal mechanisms and regulations.

Jules advised the public to be wary of parties promising guaranteed passing, admission, placement, or special tracks into government agencies in exchange for money.

According to the chronology provided by Ketut, the victims previously participated in the official CPNS selection tests for 2024-2025 but failed at the final stage. Certain individuals, still actively serving in military institutions in East Java, approached them and offered ‘supplementary’ selection tracks to ensure success.

The victims claimed to believe these offers because some of their family members are military veterans or are still actively serving. These individuals then introduced the victims to an individual with the initials OP, who promised placement in various government agencies through these ‘supplementary’ routes.

Ketut noted that victims were charged between Rp300 million and Rp700 million on average, depending on the promised agency.

After making the payments, victims were directed to undergo a series of academic, physical, psychological, and health tests that were designed to appear official, complete with decision letters and test schedules bearing the letterheads of official agencies. It was later discovered that all these documents were forged after direct verification with the promised agencies, including the Prosecutor’s Office, IPDN, various ministries, and State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN).

Ketut also revealed that several victims who intended to report the case faced intimidation from certain military personnel, who threatened that their money would be forfeited if the case was reported to the police.

As a result, the victims and their legal team have reported an individual identified by the initials OP, the owner of the job training institute PT PTC in Sidoarjo, for alleged criminal acts of fraud and/or embezzlement under the provisions of the Indonesian Criminal Code.