Three Perpetrators Of Fraud Spreading Fake M-Banking Links Arrested

West Java Police Head of Public Relations Kombes Ibrahim Tompo shows a fake mobile banking page in a case release (ANTARA/Bagus Ahmad Rizaldi)

BANDUNG - The West Java Regional Police (Polda) arrested three fraud perpetrators using fake mobile banking (m-banking) modes on internet pages that cost hundreds of millions of rupiah.

West Java Police Public Relations Head Kombes Ibrahim Tompo said the three suspects with the initials DM (21), RP (29), and AL (23) had deceived their victims by informing them about the existence of fictitious information on the new interbank transfer fee policy.

"The suspect spread the link to his potential victims, by providing information that there was a change in transaction costs, from this information the victims responded between those who agreed or disagreed," said Ibrahim at the West Java Police, Bandung City, as reported by ANTARA, Monday, August 15.

According to him, the suspects, who came from South Sumatra, have been carrying out their actions for several years. However, the case was detected since a report from one of the victims in July 2022 in the jurisdiction of the Cimahi Police.

According to him, the perpetrators sent letters to the victims regarding the change in the transfer fee policy from IDR 6,500 per transaction to IDR 150,000 per month. Then the perpetrator will seek approval by calling the victims.

He explained, regardless of agreeing or disagreeing with the fictitious information, the victims would then be asked to fill out an electronic form at the link provided.

According to him, the link is an internet page that is very similar to the BRI Mobile or Brimo application. After the victim filled in the link, according to him, the perpetrators absorbed personal data and then hacked into the accounts of the victims.

"When the link is filled in, there is data entry in the form of filling in the username and password, it is the same as the Brimo application, and when it is filled it is hacked, and the contents (balance) can be drained," said Ibrahim.

The West Java Regional Police asked the public to be careful regarding the existence of this fraudulent mode. Because the internet page used is very similar to the original.

"So it's exactly the same, after the link is clicked, the Brimo application will appear, it will be like that, like the link from BRI, so it's very smooth," he said.

Based on the data collected, according to him, some of the victims suffered losses ranging from Rp. 1 million to Rp. 500 million. The perpetrators, he said, had made a profit of around Rp807 million.

As a result of their actions, the perpetrators were charged with Article 45 Paragraph 1 UURI Number 19 of 2016 concerning amendments or UURI Number 11 of 2008 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions, as well as Article 378 and Article 372 of the Criminal Code.

"The perpetrators face a maximum sentence of six years and a maximum fine of Rp. 1 billion," he said.