The Online Fraud Network In Bali Is Controlled By Cambodian Syndicate

PHOTO: Dafi-VOI

The Bali Regional Police's Cyber Investigation Directorate (Ditressiber) said the online fraud network operating in Denpasar, Bali was controlled by a syndicate centered in Cambodia.

"This investigation does not stop here. The Indonesian network is one syndicate, connected to the Cambodian state," said Director of the Bali Police Cyber Investigation Kombes Ranefli Dian Candra in Denpasar, Wednesday, June 11.

Candra explained that operators work under the control of a person with the initials VV in Cambodia. VV is tasked with giving the names and phone numbers of potential victims to 38 operators based in five places in Denpasar.

They contacted the victims via Telegram with modes such as pretending to need friends to chat, misCONTINUate, and intend to become business partners depending on the victim's profile.

If the victim is consumed by the suspect's seduction, the conversation will be directed to VV in Cambodia via a special Telegram link. If the victim clicks on the link sent, it will automatically download the victim's personal data specifically targeting foreigners from the United States.

"We don't know the victim himself, but from the computer evidence that we have checked and secured all data + 1 on all American codes. This means that the target is indeed American citizens in Indonesia or anywhere else," he said.

38 accomplices who were arrested in Denpasar were paid 200 US dollars which were sent in crypto form.

Initially, there were five people recruited to serve as broadcasters.

Candra said there were thousands of American foreigners who were victims of the fraud. Because the number of victims increased, the previous six people were used as leaders to recruit new personnel to operate from Denpasar.

At five crime scenes in Denpasar, there were two people who were used as leaders.

The disclosure of the online fraud syndicate was based on information on Monday, June 9, 2025 at around 01.00 WITA, there was suspicious activity at one of the houses of Jalan Nusa Kambangan Denpasar (TKP 1).

Furthermore, the Bali Police Ditressiber Team conducted an investigation at TKP-1 and believed that there was suspicious activity so that the team immediately conducted a search and it was true that at the crime scene 9 people complete with 10 computers were found carrying out these fraudulent activities.

Furthermore, the perpetrators and evidence were secured to the Bali Police Directorate for further investigation. To investigators, the perpetrator admitted that this activity had been carried out since November 2023 and the perpetrators also said that there were other groups working like them in four different locations.

Based on the perpetrator's statement, the Bali Police Ditressiber Team immediately led and searched the four crime scenes and it was true that the team again managed to secure 29 perpetrators of online fraud syndicates complete with evidence.

Of the five crime scenes, the Bali Police Ditressiber Team managed to secure 38 perpetrators (31 men and 7 women), with their respective roles complete with 82 cellphones and 47 computers of various brands.

Currently, the perpetrators have been detained at the Bali Police Detention Center undergoing a further investigation process to account for their actions.