Palembang, KOTABARI.COM – A Palembang resident, Puput Saputti (27), reported being defrauded of IDR 63 million by a man identified as JM (45). Puput filed a complaint with the Palembang Police Department, accusing JM of embezzlement by borrowing money under the guise of offering a fake land certificate as collateral.
The incident began on Thursday, July 11, 2024, when JM visited Puput’s house in Sukarami District, Palembang. JM requested a loan, claiming it was to resolve issues concerning his child. To gain Puput’s trust, JM presented a land certificate as collateral and showed photos of the land and building he claimed to own.
“He borrowed IDR 63 million with a land certificate as collateral, but he never returned the money by the deadline. When I checked the land’s location, it turned out to be fake,” Puput explained during an interview on Tuesday (10/12/2024).
After waiting for five months without any repayment, Puput visited JM’s residence, only to find it empty. JM’s phone number was also unreachable. Upon investigating the land’s location in Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra, Puput discovered the land was not registered under JM’s name and had already been mortgaged to a bank.
“I also met with the sub-district head to verify the authenticity of the land certificate. The official stated that he had never signed the certificate,” Puput said.
Puput further revealed that the house shown in the collateral photos was actually JM’s residence in Alang-alang Lebar District, Palembang. Feeling deceived, Puput decided to report JM to the Palembang Police Department.
“I will not settle this matter amicably. JM must be jailed,” Puput stated firmly.
First Officer of the Palembang Police SPKT, Ipda Yosep Virdaus, confirmed the report. “We have received the embezzlement report and will forward it to the Criminal Investigation Unit for further investigation,” he said.
This case serves as a reminder for the public to exercise caution in financial transactions, especially when involving collateral documents.