3 weeks ago
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March 26, 2025 | 01:17 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Cyber Crime Directorate of the Indonesian National Police is actively tracking a Chinese national believed to be the mastermind behind an online fraud scheme using SMS blasts.
These SMS blasts contain phishing links and messages that reference three private banks. Typically, this mass messaging method is used for product marketing or emergency notifications, but in this case, it was exploited for fraud.
Brigadier General Himawan Bayu Aji, Director of Cyber Crime, suspects that the operation is being orchestrated by a Chinese national acting as an overseas operator.
This suspicion emerged from intercepted communications between two arrested suspects in a Telegram group named "Indonesian Base Station."
According to Himawan, the group conversation contains instructions regarding the target location for spreading the SMS blast with phishing links. He said, "The development is still ongoing. It is suspected that these two field operators are working on orders from abroad."
Prior to this, the Indonesian National Police arrested two Chinese nationals with the initials XY and YXC on March 18, 2025. They are both suspects in the online fraud case using the SMS blast service.
Himawan mentioned that the two suspects worked as field operators who brought sabotage equipment for the 4G network using a car.
With this device, the operators suspected to be abroad sent SMS blasts to mobile users connected to the sabotaged BTS tower.
"The SMS blast will be received by users around the previously sabotaged 4G network interception device," Himawan said. "It contains instructions to click on the phishing link that bears the name of a private bank."
This online fraud case was revealed after several victims reported to the Jakarta Metropolitan Regional Police in mid-March 2024.
According to Himawan, based on the initial investigation, at least 12 bank customers became victims after clicking the phishing links in the SMS. The total loss suffered by the victims amounted to more than Rp473 million
"In addition to the losses, what's most important is how we can break the chain of spreading this SMS blast to prevent more victims," he said.
According to Antara, the police secured several pieces of evidence in this case, including a fake BTS device, seven mobile phones, three SIM cards, two bank ATM cards, a Chinese passport under the name YXC, a travel permit card under the name YXC, a Chinese identity card under the name YXC, and an NPWP card under the same name.
Himawan urged the public to exercise greater caution and avoid clicking on suspicious links or being tempted by offers from unknown numbers. "Cybercrime continues to evolve with various methods. Moving forward, we must be even more vigilant," he warned.
The two suspects have been charged under Article 32 and Article 48 of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law, Law Number 36 of 1999 on Telecommunications, and Article 55 of the Criminal Code for their involvement in the crime.
They face a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp12 billion.
Nandito Putra and Antara contributed to the writing of this article.
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