Sleman Family Faces Eviction After Falling Victim to Land Mafia Share Business Scam
A sense of anxiety has enveloped the family of Mbah Lanjarsari, a resident of Sleman, as they face the threat of losing their home and land. The elderly woman is bewildered after discovering her land certificates had been transferred into someone else’s name and are now being used as collateral at a bank. She believes she is a victim of a land mafia operation.
The trouble began in 2011 when Lanjarsari and her late husband, Komaridin, were approached at their home by a man identified only as PW. PW persuaded the couple to lend him two land certificates, claiming they were needed for a share business. The certificates were for a 471-square-metre plot in Maguwoharjo and a 274-square-metre plot in Wedomartani. Despite not being a neighbour, relative, or friend, the couple agreed to the arrangement after PW promised them a monthly profit of Rp 400,000. He made good on the payments for only about 15 months before stopping entirely.
The situation escalated on 7 May 2024, when Lanjarsari received a first warning letter from a bank stating that the two land certificates had been used as collateral. The certificates had also been transferred into PW’s name without the family’s knowledge or consent. Lanjarsari and her four children, who live on the land, insist they never signed any documents authorising the transfer or pledging the inherited property as security.
The family’s shock turned to action after the bank’s visit. Nuriyah, Lanjarsari’s 48-year-old daughter, explained that they only learned of the title transfer when the bank came to confirm the collateral. The family has since reported the case to the police, alleging fraud.
The Sleman District Land Office confirmed that the certificates originally belonging to the late Komaridin had indeed been transferred to PW. Plt Head of the Sleman Land Office, Dicky Zulkarnain, stated that an internal investigation found the transfer was based on a deed of sale. He also confirmed that both certificates are currently encumbered with a mortgage. The legal team from Atma Jaya University Yogyakarta is assisting the family and has filed a formal report with the Yogyakarta Special Region Police, who confirmed the case is under investigation.