PAPUA - Mimika Police in Papua Province reminded local residents to be aware of the circulation of fraudulent short message service (SMS) messages.
In his text message, the perpetrator asked for money and other facilities by taking the names of a number of police officers.
Kasat Reskrim Mimika Police AKP Hermanto said that one of the names on his knees was himself. He admitted that there were many notifications from a number of people who received SMS on behalf of himself. The perpetrator asked to buy a Jakarta-Timika flight ticket.
"The cell phone number used by the perpetrator is not mine. We have traced it and are in Riau Province. Most of the potential victims are my friends. Luckily they all immediately confirmed it to us after receiving a short message from that number," said Hermanto at Timika was reported by Antara, Wednesday, April 21.
Some time after the fraud was revealed, AKP Hermanto tried to contact the perpetrator's cell phone number but it was not answered.
"Even colleagues who received the short message from this person also called the number, but the person concerned did not answer," he said.
In a short message to several people, the person on behalf of AKP Hermanto asked for assistance with the purchase of a flight ticket from Jakarta to Timika.
"My members and I are said to be in Jakarta, about to return to Timika and ask for money to buy flight tickets," he explained.
Due to this incident, AKP Hermanto asked residents to be vigilant and not easily trapped by the existence of fraudulent SMS disguises to extort residents.
"If anyone else receives a short message claiming to be on behalf of AKP Hermanto, the Head of the Mimika Police Criminal Investigation Unit to ask for some money or whatever, immediately report it to us to be followed up," he appealed.
AKP Hermanto admitted that he had been 'tricked' by unknown individuals using a similar mode. The first case occurred when he had just served as the Head of Criminal Investigation Unit for the Mimika Police in 2020.
"When I first served as Kasat Reskrim, Mimika Police, there were cases like this, now a similar incident has emerged. Anyone who receives a text message on my behalf with the aim of asking for something, please immediately confirm with us first," said the former Tembagapura police chief.
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