Bandung Zoo Accuses Fundraiser of Fraud
Indonesian zoos do not enjoy a sterling reputation for animal care. When foreigners try to intervene, officials become upset –...
Scam
Child Scammer Nets Minister
E-commerce fraud in Indonesia recently claimed a high-profile victim: Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Roy Suryo. Police swiftly arrested the...
Ghostbuster Busted
Of all the silly programs on Indonesian TV, one of the most idiotic was Pemburu Hantu (Ghost Hunters), which involved...
Unlucky Charms
It is widely believed in Indonesia that daggers, polished stones and fabrics can be imbued with magical powers that will...
Phantom Pregnancies
Getting married and having children are essential rites of passage in Indonesia. So great is the pressure to produce progeny,...
Cheating on the Buses
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Transjakarta busway: a public transport system beset by financial scams. Even before...
Physicians? Heal Thyself
From pointless prescriptions to counterfeit medicines, the treatment of illnesses in Indonesia can be a minefield. A few weeks ago,...
Big Phishing in a Big Pond
As the world’s second biggest source of cyber attacks, Indonesia is prone to phishing, which occurs when a scammer or...
We Haven?t Learned a Thing
It is almost a year since I wrote my first Scams column for Jakarta Expat and there is no shortage...
Mystery Meats
What’s a Jewish dilemma? Pork at half price. That was one of the first jokes I heard during a visit...
Preying on Prostitutes
A churchgoing keyboardist posed as a playboy and robbed at least 24 high-class prostitutes in four cities, until he made...
This is an Ex-Tortoise & Other Abused Animals
Indonesian internet forums trading in exotic fauna are rife with complaints from people who feel scammed because the creatures they...