Fake Police Officer Arrested for Promising Girlfriend a Job at Polres, Causing Millions in Losses

The Criminal Investigation Unit (Satreskrim) of Banjarbaru Police (Polres Banjarbaru), South Kalimantan, has arrested a man with the initials SA (26) for allegedly defrauding his girlfriend by impersonating a police officer and promising her a job at the local police station, causing the victim to suffer losses of millions of rupiah. The suspect, a resident of Tanah Bumbu Regency, was apprehended by a joint team from Banjarbaru Police's Satreskrim at his parents' house in Gunung Tinggi Village, Batulicin District, Tanah Bumbu Regency, on Wednesday (29/7). The arrest followed an investigation based on the victim's report. Head of Public Relations for Banjarbaru Police, Ipda Kardi Gunadi, stated that the case began when the victim, Normarina (33), was offered a job at the Banjarbaru Police's Integrated Police Service Center (SPKT) by the suspect on May 26, 2026. "The complainant was interested when offered the job. The perpetrator assured her that he would help manage the recruitment process at the Banjarbaru Police," Kardi said, as quoted by Antara, Sunday (2/8/2026). The victim then handed over her identification documents to the suspect. Subsequently, the suspect requested money in stages for various reasons, including uniform costs of Rp 1.53 million, medical check-up fees of Rp 950,000, booster vaccination costs of Rp 300,000, and a guarantee fee of Rp 1.5 million to the Banjarbaru Police Chief. After all demands were met, the suspect told the victim to wait, claiming the process would be reported to the Banjarbaru Police Chief. The victim was even promised a meeting with the Police Chief, which never materialized. When the victim sought certainty, the suspect claimed that her ID card was used for an online loan and demanded an additional Rp 2.7 million to clear her loan history. "The victim was asked to pay another Rp 2.7 million to clear her loan history. The victim stated she could not afford that amount," said the Head of Public Relations. Feeling like a victim of fraud, the victim demanded the return of all the money she had paid. When this request was denied, she reported the incident to Banjarbaru Police, leading to an investigation and the suspect's arrest. During interrogation, the suspect admitted to claiming to be a police officer assigned to Banjarbaru Police to convince the victim. Police also revealed that the suspect and victim had been in a romantic relationship for about six months, making it easier for the victim to believe the suspect's claims. Kasi Humas stated that the examination also revealed that all the money received by the suspect through transfers was used for personal gain. Police also discovered that the suspect had used similar fraudulent methods against other victims. "The perpetrator committed fraud by impersonating a police officer twice, once in Banjarbaru and once in Martapura," he said. As a result of his actions, the victim suffered a total loss of Rp 5,330,000. Banjarbaru Police urges the public not to be easily swayed by individuals promising jobs and demanding money, and to immediately verify with the relevant authorities if they encounter similar modus operandi. Read the latest and most trusted news at Berita Liputan6