Polda Jabar Arrests 12 in Online Car Scam Posing as TNI
The Sidrap-based ring used Facebook and WhatsApp to lure buyers, leaving two victims with losses of nearly Rp40 juta.
Polda Jawa Barat arrested 12 suspects in an online car-buying scam ring operating from Kabupaten Sidenreng Rappang (Sidrap), Sulawesi Selatan. The case came to light after two complaints from victims identified as FFK and NM were filed on 22 July and 25 July 2026, then tracked by Ditresiber Polda Jabar as a series of related cases.
The suspects posted car ads on Facebook, then continued communications with prospective buyers via WhatsApp until transactions were completed. To convince victims, they claimed to be members of TNI, used false identities, and displayed photos in TNI uniforms with toy guns. They also showed a location made to look like a cargo service area, when it was just an ordinary place arranged to mislead victims. The two victims lost nearly Rp40 juta.