Wedding Organiser Marwah Defrauds 58 Prospective Couples; Owner Revealed as Recidivist
Police officials have arrested a married couple operating a wedding organiser business after they allegedly defrauded 58 prospective couples through an elaborate financial scheme. The suspects, identified as RM and ER, owners of wedding organiser Marwah, were apprehended in West Bandung following a public outcry on social media.
Head of Criminal Investigation Division at East Jakarta Metro Police, AKBP Bayu Kurniawan, confirmed that the suspects attempted to flee and hide after reports emerged on social media. “After the reports went viral on social media, the two suspects indeed tried to escape and hide somewhere. So we conducted a search, and thankfully we were able to identify their whereabouts and make an arrest,” Kurniawan told reporters on Monday, 1 June 2026. Police are investigating reports suggesting the couple intended to flee abroad, though it has been confirmed they moved between locations as the case came to light.
The Fraud Scheme: Robbing Peter to Pay Paul
The suspects operated what police describe as a “dig one hole to fill another” scheme. RM and ER offered wedding packages to prospective couples, but the prices charged could not cover operational costs. Consequently, they used money from subsequent clients to cover shortfalls from previous clients’ events.
“Money from victims was used to cover the cost of previous weddings. It was a classic case of robbing Peter to pay Paul,” Kurniawan stated. Police are still investigating whether funds from the fraud were also used for the suspects’ personal needs.
Recruitment Through Social Media Promotions
The suspects targeted prospective couples through promotional advertisements on Instagram, advertising attractive wedding packages at seemingly reasonable prices. Interested clients then communicated with administrators via WhatsApp, where the suspects offered various promotions and wedding packages.
“Initially, victims saw advertisements for these wedding services on Instagram. They then communicated directly with the administrators via WhatsApp,” explained Kurniawan, citing Antara news agency. During these WhatsApp communications, the suspects presented various promotions and package deals that appeared attractive to potential customers.
Suspect Has Prior Conviction for Similar Crime
Investigation revealed that ER, the female suspect, is a recidivist with a prior conviction for similar fraud offences in West Java. “Following our investigation, we determined that suspect ER (the wife) is a recidivist for similar criminal offences in West Java,” Kurniawan said. This status was discovered during the deep investigation of the wedding organiser couple. Both were arrested after attempting to evade authorities once the case attracted public attention.
RM and ER have been designated as suspects and remanded in police custody. They are charged under Article 492 and/or Article 486 of the Indonesian Criminal Code, facing up to four years’ imprisonment.
Scope of the Fraud
Police have identified at least 58 Marwah clients as alleged victims, with estimated losses totalling Rp 2.6 billion. The victims had transferred funds for various wedding packages that Marwah promised to deliver, but the promised services were not properly rendered, resulting in substantial losses for the prospective couples.
Police confirmed that currently, only the married couple are suspects in the case, with no evidence of involvement by other parties in the management or the alleged criminal conduct. However, investigators remain open to complaints from other victims who have not yet reported, and suspect that both the number of victims and the total losses may increase as investigations and data collection proceed.