Using sad news to cheat

Using sad news to cheat

From Kompas

Recently someone who introduced himself as Dr. Handoko from Sukabumi phoned my family in Jakarta to inform that I had met with a traffic accident in Sukabumi when in fact I had not.

At about 11 a.m. Dr. Handoko called my house to say that I was involved in a traffic accident in Sukabumi and that I was seriously injured and was being treated in a local hospital. He repeatedly told my family that I was in critical condition. Later he called to say that I was being transported in an ambulance to Pertamina Hospital (RSPP) in Jakarta. He asked my wife to contact Dr. Pramudia, a pathologist there, giving the latter's mobile phone number, and to pay him the hospital bill, which amounted to Rp 27,950,000, by transferring the money to an account in BNI's Kebayoran branch under Riski Deswanto.

Perhaps because until 4 p.m. no transfer had been made, Dr. Handoko called my wife again, who was then on her way to see him in Sukabumi, to tell her that I had died.

Imagine how under the circumstances my wife pushed the panic button. My son who was waiting at RSPP and my other son who was in Bandung panicked thinking they would never see their father anymore. At home my family, my old mother and neighbors made the necessary preparations to receive my body.

Dr. Handoko's plan to cheat was indeed quite well organized: the names of the doctors, the number of my nonactive mobile phone and other things mentioned were true, but the bizarre circumstances of course raised suspicion.

HERU ENDROPRANOTO

Sukabumi, West Java