Surabaya authorities warn of prosecutor‑name fraud and test facial‑recognition welfare registration

The Surabaya Prosecutor’s Office (Kejari) alerted government agencies, the city administration and the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) that scammers are impersonating prosecutors to request money via phone calls and WhatsApp messages. The fraudsters cite the names of Kejari officials and provide bank account details, but the office confirmed no such requests are legitimate and urged immediate verification of any such demands.

At the same time, the Surabaya Social Services Department piloted its integrated Digital Social Protection system (Perlinsos Digital). Sub‑district heads and village chiefs acted as agents to register residents, and the platform required real‑time facial scanning to confirm identity, aiming to improve data accuracy and ensure aid reaches the intended recipients.