TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A joint team from the Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Jakarta Police have nabbed a Nigerian national for alleged fraud involving fake dollar notes printed with black ink. “The perpetrator met the victim via Facebook, pretending to be a businessman from England,” said Jakarta Police Public Relations chief Sr. Comr. Rikwanto on Thursday, March 13 2014.

According to Rikwanto, Billy was offering his victim aid in the form of clothes to help alleviate the latter's suffering over some misfortune. “However, for the delivery, the victim was asked to wire Rp20 million,” said Rikwanto. However, he added, after the money had been transferred, the victims received a black crate containing hundreds of sheets of black papers instead of clothes.

The perpetrator would then tell the victim that the papers were dollar papers that could be used to make “real money”. At first, the victim believed it as the two black dollar samples were successfully transformed into “real dollars”. The deception continued when the victim was asked to send more money for the chemical fluid that would be used to transform the black papers and payment was made till the amount of Rp600 million. The victim was further convinced as the Nigerian told him he was to receive Rp150 billion.

Rikwanto said this crime had been afoot for long and the police had received multiple reports on it. “But the number of victims just keeps increasing,” he said.

ISMI DAMAYANTI