RADAR TRENGGALEK – Police in Trenggalek, East Java, have issued a wanted notice for the creator of a fake banking app linked to a fraud case in Gandusari district. Investigators are now intensifying digital tracking efforts.
Authorities identified the fugitive as W, also known as I. He allegedly designed and distributed a cloned mobile banking application used by a fraud syndicate.
“We have placed W alias I on the wanted list. He created the fake app and passed it to other suspects to run the fraud,” said AKP Eko Widiantoro, head of criminal investigations at Trenggalek Police.
Investigators said the suspect had advanced technical skills. He replicated the interface of legitimate mobile banking services. The cloned app closely resembled Bank Central Asia’s BCA Mobile platform.
The fake application displayed manipulated balances reaching billions of rupiah. This convinced victims that funds had arrived.
“The screen showed a Rp 5 billion balance. In reality, it was only number manipulation and not linked to any banking system,” Widiantoro said.
The case began when victim Wiji Astuti was promised Rp 5 billion in business capital. To strengthen the deception, suspects installed the fake banking app on her phone. The display made the balance appear real.
Additionally, perpetrators used physical props. They brought three suitcases claimed to contain Rp 50 billion in cash. However, the suitcases held stacks of blank paper with a few real-looking banknotes on top.
Believing the funds were genuine, the victim transferred money in stages totaling Rp 150 million. The suspects described the payments as administrative fees.
Police have arrested two field operatives. They are Muhammad Ridwan, also known as Weldan, from Wonosobo, and Alfian Kasidin from Pasuruan. Both remain in custody.
Meanwhile, investigators continue pursuing the app developer. Authorities are tracing his digital footprint to dismantle the network and prevent further victims.
Police urged the public to download banking apps only from official platforms such as Google Play Store or Apple App Store. They also warned against allowing unknown individuals to install apps on personal devices.
“We continue tracking the fugitive’s digital trail to expose the network and prevent new victims,” Widiantoro said.