Deceiving Hundreds Of People Through A Fake Arisan, This Couple In Indramayu Takes IDR 1.5 Billion

Two suspects in a fake arisan are couples in Indramayu, West Java, Tuesday (28/2/2023). ANTARA

INDRAMAYU - The Indramayu Police, West Java, arrested a married couple suspected of a fake arisan which caused residents to lose up to IDR 1.5 billion. The acts of fraud by the two perpetrators have been going on since 2019.

"We received reports from several victims regarding the crime of embezzlement and fraud by suspects who are husband and wife," said Indramayu Police Chief AKBP Fahri Siregar in Indramayu, quoted from Antara, Tuesday, February 28.

Fahri said the two suspects, who are married couples with the initials YW and ARL, are residents of Cangkingan Village, Kedokanbunder District, Indramayu Regency.

According to him, the two suspects held weekly arisan with 178 followers. However, 40 of them are fictitious names while 110 have received arisan money. The remaining 28 participants did not receive the arisan money.

Each week each arisan participant must deposit IDR 100,000, and the arisan takes 163 weeks.

"Of this amount, the suspect pocketed IDR 1.1 billion," he said.

The suspect, continued Fahri, then held another arisan. However, this time with a one-month deadline, the money is used to cover and use personal interests.

The money obtained from the monthly arisan reaches more than IDR 400 million. The total money earned by the husband and wife was IDR 1.5 billion.

Fahri added that the suspect had also fled to Bandung, before finally, the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Indramayu Police arrested the suspect in a hiding place.

"The suspect used the arisan money for home renovations and for personal use," he said.

From the hands of the suspect, officers confiscated a number of pieces of evidence including cell phones, notebooks, accounts, ATM cards, jars, and a number of other pieces of evidence.

As a result of their actions, the two suspects were charged with Article 378 of the Criminal Code, Jo 372 of the Criminal Code, and Article 55 paragraph 1 with the threat of imprisonment for a maximum of four years.