Gresik Police arrest illegal loan operator for extortion

Gresik Police (Polres Gresik) have arrested an illegal online loan operator, Suhendri, following an extortion case involving psychological intimidation and the misuse of personal data. The suspect was apprehended in Lampung after targeting a woman in Manyar, Gresik.

The perpetrator used a sophisticated method of terror, editing the victim's face onto flyers labeled as a “DPO Pelaku Penipuan dan Penggelapan” (Wanted Criminal for Fraud and Embezzlement) alongside her ID card. The suspect threatened to distribute these fabricated images on social media if payments were not made immediately.

The victim, identified as BPS, was initially pressured to pay a fictitious debt of Rp1.6 million via WhatsApp. Despite paying, the extortion continued through different numbers claiming to represent different digital wallet applications, demanding additional sums of Rp2.9 million and Rp3.4 million under extreme time pressure and threats of data leaks.