Police Reveal Debt Collector's Naughty Practices: Spread Messages From Drug Dealer Money Borrowers To Indecent Photos

JAKARTA - The Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police revealed the naughty practices of debt collectors who work at online loan companies (pinjol). They often charge in harsh ways to the element of defamation.

"Where do they make messages, writings that may be defamatory in nature," said Director of Special Economic Crimes Brigadier General Helmy Santika told reporters, Thursday, July 29.

The disclosure of this naughty practice began when a team from the Directorate of Special Economic Crimes (Dittipideksus) investigated the case of illegal lending. In that case, the police named eight suspects, two of whom were debt collectors with the initials YR and DR.

The method used is to spread the message that the debtors or borrowers of this money are perpetrators of crimes such as drug dealers. In fact, if the debtor is a woman, they will spread the edited picture of the borrower.

"An example is like this. It is made as if the borrower (debtor) is a methamphetamine dealer, a drug dealer. Then I apologize if he is a woman, cropped, attached with inappropriate things, and others," said Helmy.

The two suspects were charged with Article 45 Paragraph (3) of the ITE Law in conjunction with Article 8 Paragraph (1) letter f Jo. Article 62 of Law Number 8 of 1999 concerning Consumer Protection and or Article 106 of Law Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation on Amendments to Law Number 7 of 2014 concerning Trade and or Article 311 of the Criminal Code.

Previously, the Criminal Investigation Police revealed the practice of illegal online loans (pinjol) because they were not registered with the Financial Services Authority (OJK). In this case, eight people have been named as suspects.

This disclosure is a development of a previous loan-related case involving PT SCA in the North Jakarta area. Because, in further investigation, the company turned out to have a network of other loan companies. In fact, some of them claim to be cooperatives.