Six duped with jobs in the U.S.

JAKARTA (JP): Six people were allegedly duped into handing over nearly US$10,000 to two men who promised to send them to the United States and secure them jobs at hotels there.

The victims' spokesman, Dani Suryadi, 33, filed a complaint with the police against the two men, Rudi Setiawan and Alfred Afri Mentang, on Sunday afternoon.

Dani said the victims -- Dudan, Nedi, Hardi, Saefudin, Sarkoro and himself -- had been duped into handing over about $10,000 to Rudi and Alfred in the hopes of being sent to the U.S. where jobs were reportedly awaiting them at the Paradise and Fisher Island hotels in Miami, Florida.

Quoting an official police document, a copy of which was made available to The Jakarta Post, a police officer who requested anonymity said that one of the victims, Hardi, was acquainted with Alfred.

Alfred allegedly showed Hardi false documents about Kliner and Cook, which he said was a U.S.-based company with a branch office in Jakarta that sent people to the U.S. to work, the police officer said.

Alfred and Rudi allegedly told Hardi and the other five men that if they paid between $1,200 and $2,000 each for administration fees, airline tickets and visa fees, they would be sent to the U.S. by March 17 this year.

"It didn't happen. The alleged dupers kept on postponing the dates and by May 11, 2001, the victims were still in Jakarta."

The officer said the victims eventually made inquiries at the U.S. Embassy here about Kliner and Cook.

"There was no such company," the officer said. (ylt)