Case Explained: UMY Criminal Law Expert: Love Scamming is A Classic Crime That Exploits Digital Technology – Legal Perspective

Love scams, or fraudulent practices disguised as romantic relationships, are becoming increasingly common in society. This type of crime doesn’t simply result in financial loss, but begins with emotional approaches and intense psychological manipulation. Victims are often trapped mentally before being asked to transfer large sums of money.

Most recently, the Indonesian Directorate General of Immigration (Ditjen) successfully dismantled an international love scam syndicate in Tangerang and arrested 27 foreign nationals. The perpetrators were found to have abused their residence permits through online romance scams, with some even violating immigration regulations by overstaying their permits.

Criminal Law Expert of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY),Dr. Trisno Raharjo, SH, M.Hum., emphasized that normatively, Indonesian criminal law actually has sufficient instruments to ensnare perpetrators of love scamming.

“In principle, these legal instruments are intended for law enforcement, particularly against fraudulent acts. Love scams involve elements of financial fraud, such as soliciting and transferring money. With the development of our criminal law, law enforcement against such acts is becoming clearer,” Trisno said on Monday (January 19).

He explained that the existence of various regulations demonstrates that Indonesian law is keeping pace with digital technology-based crimes. The combination of general criminal provisions and specific regulations related to information technology provides a sufficient basis for law enforcement to prosecute perpetrators of love scams.

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“When it comes to legal regulations, the regulations are actually sufficient. The problem is, fraud crimes tend to recur. Victims are easily manipulated, while perpetrators always find new ways to commit crimes,” he explained.

Trisno emphasized the importance of law enforcement officers taking this phenomenon seriously. He stated that the presence of cyber police must be accompanied by special attention to fraud that exploits personal and emotional relationships, such as love scams, as the impact is not only material but also psychological.

“If this issue isn’t communicated effectively to the public, the impact could be far-reaching. The victims are diverse, including both Indonesian and foreign citizens, with varying crime patterns. Therefore, ongoing efforts are needed to raise awareness that love scamming is a serious problem,” he said.

As a preventative measure, Trisno is pushing for strengthened cyber patrols that are more focused on protecting the public. He believes that cyber patrols currently tend to focus on specific issues, while personal-relationship-based fraud often goes unnoticed.

“Cyber ​​patrols are already underway, but they are more focused on issues deemed threatening to the government or related to expressions of criticism. However, crimes like love scams also require serious oversight. Furthermore, potential victims must be continuously educated to be more vigilant and report any indication of fraud immediately,” he concluded.

With consistent law enforcement, effective cyber patrols, and strengthened education and psychological approaches to the public, Trisno hopes that the number of love scams can be reduced and prevented from recurring in Indonesia’s digital space. (NF)