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Every state-changing event for Indonesia Pig Butchering Syndicate — Live Model Operation (2025-2026): moderation decisions on community submissions, plus corrections and updates from the news pipeline. URL-based decisions are designed to carry three independent witnesses — the original source, an Internet Archive snapshot, and a Solana memo signed by our publicly-disclosed publisher key. Archive coverage is still being backfilled, so each decision below reports its own snapshot status rather than assuming one exists.

1. #1publishby system:backfill

   2026-08-15 12:09:49Z
   Score: ? → ? (no score change)
   anchorpending

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   {"actor":"system:backfill","investigation_id":"04dda7b6-f794-4b66-935c-a543b8ab3006","kind":"publish","page_slug":"indonesia-pig-butchering-syndicate-live-model-operation-2025-2026","published_at":"2026-08-15T12:09:48.996Z","sequence_num":1,"snapshot":{"content_type":"investigation","entity_name":"Indonesia Pig Butchering Syndicate — Live Model Operation (2025-2026)","sections":[{"content":"The syndicate allegedly operated under the cover of a registered Indonesian consulting company, PT Digi Global Konsultan, based in Solo Baru, Sukoharjo District, Central Java. According to Central Java Regional Police, the organization ran from at least July 2025 until its disruption in May 2026, during which it allegedly contacted approximately 5,000 individuals and extracted US$2,327,625.85 (approximately Rp41.1 billion) from at least 133 confirmed victims, all identified as U.S. citizens. The operation is described by investigators as a 'pig butchering' (sholai zhu pan) scheme — a form of fraud in which perpetrators cultivate extended false romantic or friendship relationships with targets before soliciting cryptocurrency investments on a controlled, fraudulent platform. Authorities identified the fake investment platform as www.livetradingcrypto.com. All claims of fraudulent intent and victim harm remain allegations; criminal proceedings are ongoing and no verdict has been issued.","heading":"Overview and Alleged Scheme","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Police, FBI Bust Major Online Scam HQ in Solo — Tempo.co","type":"news_article","url":"https://en.tempo.co/read/2106408/police-fbi-bust-major-online-scam-hq-in-solo"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Indonesian Police bust pig butchering ring, 11 foreign suspects named — ANTARA News","type":"news_article","url":"https://en.antaranews.com/news/417532/indonesian-police-bust-pig-butchering-ring-11-foreign-suspects-named"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Indonesian police bust international online scam syndicate in Central Java — The Star","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2026/06/04/indonesian-police-bust-international-online-scam-syndicate-in-central-java"}]},{"content":"According to Central Java Police, the syndicate employed a segmented, corporate-style structure within the PT Digi Global Konsultan office and six associated boarding houses and rental properties across Sukoharjo Regency and Surakarta City. Investigators describe four primary functional roles: (1) operation leaders and supervisors who directed daily activity; (2) marketers — the majority of the 39 suspects — who contacted and cultivated victims via dating applications including Tinder, Puf, and Boo, as well as Facebook; (3) 'models' who provided photographs for fake personas and conducted live video calls, including intimate video sessions, to build victim trust; and (4) facility providers who supplied the physical and technical infrastructure. One named suspect, Febiola Elizabeth, is a former Indonesian entertainer/influencer who is accused of serving in the model role, conducting direct video calls with victims. These are allegations under active investigation; no convictions have been entered. The operation specifically constructed fake female Indonesian personas to target men, primarily in the United States.","heading":"Operational Structure and Roles","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Indonesian police bust international online scam syndicate in Central Java — The Star","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2026/06/04/indonesian-police-bust-international-online-scam-syndicate-in-central-java"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Police bust alleged 'pig butchering' crypto scam after uncovering live models — The Cooldown","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/pig-butchering-scam-indonesia-targeted-americans/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Eks Artis Febiola Elizabeth Terlibat Penipuan Pig Butchering — Tempo.co (Indonesian)","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.tempo.co/hukum/eks-artis-febiola-elizabeth-terlibat-penipuan-pig-butchering-2139572"}]},{"content":"Indonesian police, under the leadership of Senior Commissioner Himawan Sutanto Saragih, Director of Cyber Investigation at Central Java Regional Police, arrested 39 suspects on May 20, 2026. The suspects comprised 28 Indonesian nationals, 7 Nepalese nationals, and 4 Myanmar nationals. Evidence seized at seven crime scenes included 140 mobile phones, 123 desktop computer units, 2 laptops, 78 monitors, 54 keyboards, and 4 televisions — equipment consistent with a high-volume contact operation. Central Java Police announced the investigation publicly at a press conference in Semarang on June 1, 2026, with subsequent reporting published June 2-4, 2026. Authorities have stated they requested FBI assistance given that all identified victims are U.S. citizens. Indonesia's Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) and the Directorate General of Immigration were also noted as cooperating agencies.","heading":"Arrests and Law Enforcement Action","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"FBI joins Indonesian investigation into alleged US-targeting crypto fraud syndicate — The Online Citizen","type":"news_article","url":"https://theonlinecitizen.com/2026/06/03/fbi-joins-indonesian-investigation-into-alleged-us-targeting-crypto-fraud-syndicate"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Indonesian Police bust pig butchering ring, 11 foreign suspects named — ANTARA News","type":"news_article","url":"https://en.antaranews.com/news/417532/indonesian-police-bust-pig-butchering-ring-11-foreign-suspects-named"},{"credibility":3,"name":"Indonesian Police Dismantle Pig-Butchering Ring Run From a Fake Consulting Firm — ScamWatchHQ","type":"news_article","url":"https://scamwatchhq.com/indonesia-central-java-pig-butchering-bust-39-suspects-2026/"}]},{"content":"As of the date of this investigation (August 2026), the 39 suspects are facing charges under Indonesian law; no convictions have been entered and the case is at the charging and investigation stage. Marketing personnel and models face charges under Law Number 1 of 2024 concerning Electronic Information and Transactions, Articles 51 and 35 (fraudulent manipulation of electronic content) and Articles 45A and 28 (distribution of false information), with maximum penalties of 12 years imprisonment. The suspect identified as a facility provider (named in Indonesian sources as 'ASC') faces a charge under Article 607 of the 2023 Indonesian Criminal Code, with a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment. All suspects additionally face Article 492 of the Criminal Code (fraud). No extradition requests or U.S. federal charges specifically related to this operation had been publicly announced as of publication. The FBI's involvement remains at the investigative assistance stage.","heading":"Charges and Legal Proceedings","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Police, FBI Bust Major Online Scam HQ in Solo — Tempo.co","type":"news_article","url":"https://en.tempo.co/read/2106408/police-fbi-bust-major-online-scam-hq-in-solo"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Indonesian police bust international online scam syndicate in Central Java — The Star","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2026/06/04/indonesian-police-bust-international-online-scam-syndicate-in-central-java"}]},{"content":"Investigators identified www.livetradingcrypto.com as the fraudulent cryptocurrency trading platform to which victims were directed after being emotionally groomed. The platform was allegedly controlled by syndicate operators and functioned as the final stage of the fraud: once victims deposited funds — typically incrementally increased through continued emotional manipulation — the syndicate allegedly blocked withdrawal access and retained the deposited assets. The platform is not licensed or registered with Indonesia's Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK), which as of January 2025 is the primary regulator for digital financial assets in Indonesia. No independent blockchain analysis of funds flows from this platform has been publicly published as of the date of this investigation.","heading":"Fake Cryptocurrency Platform","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Police, FBI Bust Major Online Scam HQ in Solo — Tempo.co","type":"news_article","url":"https://en.tempo.co/read/2106408/police-fbi-bust-major-online-scam-hq-in-solo"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Police bust alleged 'pig butchering' crypto scam after uncovering live models — The Cooldown","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/pig-butchering-scam-indonesia-targeted-americans/"}]},{"content":"This operation exists within a broader regional context. Separately from the Central Java domestic operation, thousands of Indonesian nationals have themselves been victims of human trafficking into pig butchering compounds in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. As of March 2025, over 569 Indonesian citizens were repatriated from scam compounds in Myawaddy, Myanmar, where they were held against their will and forced to conduct scam calls under threat of violence, including reports of beatings and electrocution, according to Project Multatuli and the International Justice Mission. Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs documented 3,703 Indonesian human trafficking victims in online scam operations between 2020 and March 2024. This dual role — Indonesia as both a source of trafficked scam workers and a base for active outbound fraud operations — reflects the distributed, transnational nature of the pig butchering industry. A separate earlier Indonesian case saw Bareskrim (Indonesia's national criminal investigation agency) work with Binance and Tokocrypto in 2024 to seize approximately US$200,000 in illicit pig butchering proceeds. In August 2025, a broader Asia-Pacific law enforcement operation coordinated by Chainalysis, Binance, OKX, and Tether froze approximately US$46.9 million in pig butchering-linked USDT across the region.","heading":"Regional Context: Indonesia and Southeast Asia Pig Butchering Ecosystem","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Families Share Horror Stories of Indonesians Trapped in Pig Butchering Scheme on Myanmar's Borders — Project Multatuli","type":"news_article","url":"https://projectmultatuli.org/en/families-share-horror-stories-of-indonesians-trapped-in-pig-butchering-scheme-on-myanmars-borders/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"569 Indonesian Survivors Return Home After Being Freed from Scam Centers Myanmar — International Justice Mission","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.ijm.org/news/569-indonesian-survivors-return-home-after-being-freed-from-scam-centers-myanmar"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Binance joins forces with Indonesia to expose $200K pig butchering scam — Cryptopolitan","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptopolitan.com/binance-indonesia-pig-butchering-scam/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"APAC-based Law Enforcement Freezes $47 Million in Pig Butchering Funds — Chainalysis","type":"research","url":"https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/apac-law-enforcement-freezes-pig-butchering-funds-august-2025/"}]},{"content":"All 133 confirmed victims identified by Central Java Police are described as U.S. citizens. The syndicate's operators are alleged to have targeted an initial pool of approximately 5,000 individuals, with 133 successfully defrauded — a conversion rate consistent with documented pig butchering operational patterns. Recruitment occurred across multiple platforms: Tinder, Puf (Puff), Boo, and Facebook. Suspects constructed fake female Indonesian personas, pairing professionally sourced photographs with live video calls conducted by real individuals in the model role, to provide convincing proof-of-identity that deepened victim trust before the investment solicitation stage. Suspect salaries within the operation were reported at approximately Rp10-20 million per month (approximately US$560-1,120 at 2026 exchange rates), providing context for the economic incentives that sustain such operations in the Indonesian labor market.","heading":"Victim Profile and Recruitment Channels","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Indonesian police bust international online scam syndicate in Central Java — The Star","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2026/06/04/indonesian-police-bust-international-online-scam-syndicate-in-central-java"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Police bust alleged 'pig butchering' crypto scam after uncovering live models — The Cooldown","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/pig-butchering-scam-indonesia-targeted-americans/"}]}],"sources_used":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Police bust alleged 'pig butchering' crypto scam after uncovering live models used to reel in 133 victims — The Cooldown","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/pig-butchering-scam-indonesia-targeted-americans/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"FBI joins Indonesian investigation into alleged US-targeting crypto fraud syndicate — The Online Citizen","type":"news_article","url":"https://theonlinecitizen.com/2026/06/03/fbi-joins-indonesian-investigation-into-alleged-us-targeting-crypto-fraud-syndicate"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Indonesian Police bust pig butchering ring, 11 foreign suspects named — ANTARA News","type":"news_article","url":"https://en.antaranews.com/news/417532/indonesian-police-bust-pig-butchering-ring-11-foreign-suspects-named"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Central Java Police Uncovers a 'Pig Butchering' Fraud Syndicate that Grossed Rp41 Billion — VOI.id","type":"news_article","url":"https://voi.id/en/amp/576651"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Indonesian police bust international online scam syndicate in Central Java — The Star","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2026/06/04/indonesian-police-bust-international-online-scam-syndicate-in-central-java"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Police, FBI Bust Major Online Scam HQ in Solo — Tempo.co","type":"news_article","url":"https://en.tempo.co/read/2106408/police-fbi-bust-major-online-scam-hq-in-solo"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Police bust international online scam syndicate in Central Java — The Jakarta Post","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/06/04/police-bust-international-online-scam-syndicate-in-central-java"},{"credibility":3,"name":"Indonesian Police Dismantle Pig-Butchering Ring Run From a Fake Consulting Firm — ScamWatchHQ","type":"news_article","url":"https://scamwatchhq.com/indonesia-central-java-pig-butchering-bust-39-suspects-2026/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Eks Artis Febiola Elizabeth Terlibat Penipuan Pig Butchering — Tempo.co (Indonesian)","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.tempo.co/hukum/eks-artis-febiola-elizabeth-terlibat-penipuan-pig-butchering-2139572"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Binance joins forces with Indonesia to expose $200K pig butchering scam — Cryptopolitan","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptopolitan.com/binance-indonesia-pig-butchering-scam/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"APAC-based Law Enforcement Freezes $47 Million in Pig Butchering Funds — Chainalysis","type":"research","url":"https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/apac-law-enforcement-freezes-pig-butchering-funds-august-2025/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Families Share Horror Stories of Indonesians Trapped in Pig Butchering Scheme on Myanmar's Borders — Project Multatuli","type":"news_article","url":"https://projectmultatuli.org/en/families-share-horror-stories-of-indonesians-trapped-in-pig-butchering-scheme-on-myanmars-borders/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"569 Indonesian Survivors Return Home After Being Freed from Scam Centers Myanmar — International Justice Mission","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.ijm.org/news/569-indonesian-survivors-return-home-after-being-freed-from-scam-centers-myanmar"},{"credibility":1,"name":"IOM Indonesia Supports the Repatriation of Online Scam Trafficking Victims — IOM Indonesia","type":"official","url":"https://indonesia.iom.int/news/iom-indonesia-supports-repatriation-online-scam-trafficking-victims"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Pig Butchering Gangs, Human Trafficking, and Crypto: An Analysis — Chainalysis","type":"research","url":"https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/pig-butchering-human-trafficking/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"The 2026 Pig Butchering Reckoning: Inside the Year's Biggest Crypto Scam Crackdowns — Crypto Times","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cryptotimes.io/2026/05/05/2026-pig-butchering-crypto-scam-crackdowns/"}],"summary":"An international online fraud syndicate operating out of Sukoharjo and Surakarta in Central Java, Indonesia from approximately July 2025 to May 2026, allegedly defrauding at least 133 U.S. victims of approximately US$2.33 million through romance manipulation and fake cryptocurrency investment platforms, a scheme known as 'pig butchering.' Indonesian police arrested 39 suspects in May 2026 and have engaged the FBI given the predominance of American victims. Charges are pending; no convictions have been entered as of the date of this investigation.","timeline":[{"date":"2023-11-01","event":"A separate earlier Indonesian pig butchering investigation begins — Indonesia's Bareskrim, supported by Binance and Tokocrypto, initiates a case that would result in seizure of approximately US$200,000 in illicit proceeds.","source":"Cryptopolitan","source_url":"https://www.cryptopolitan.com/binance-indonesia-pig-butchering-scam/"},{"date":"2024-09-24","event":"Cryptopolitan reports on the Bareskrim-Binance-Tokocrypto cooperation, documenting the earlier $200K seizure and arrests in that separate Indonesian pig butchering case.","source":"Cryptopolitan","source_url":"https://www.cryptopolitan.com/binance-indonesia-pig-butchering-scam/"},{"date":"2025-02-27","event":"Myanmar transfers 84 Indonesian nationals to Thailand who were freed from scam compounds; Indonesian embassy takes custody for repatriation, part of a broader wave of Indonesian trafficking victims freed from Myanmar-based pig butchering operations.","source":"IOM Indonesia / Indonesia.IOM.int","source_url":"https://indonesia.iom.int/news/iom-indonesia-supports-repatriation-online-scam-trafficking-victims"},{"date":"2025-03-18","event":"Indonesia repatriates 569 citizens freed from online scam centres in Myawaddy, Myanmar, where they had been held as forced labour in pig butchering operations.","source":"International Justice Mission","source_url":"https://www.ijm.org/news/569-indonesian-survivors-return-home-after-being-freed-from-scam-centers-myanmar"},{"date":"2025-07-01","event":"PT Digi Global Konsultan pig butchering syndicate in Sukoharjo, Central Java, commences operations, according to Central Java Police investigators.","source":"ANTARA News","source_url":"https://en.antaranews.com/news/417532/indonesian-police-bust-pig-butchering-ring-11-foreign-suspects-named"},{"date":"2025-08-01","event":"Chainalysis, Binance, OKX, and Tether cooperate with APAC law enforcement to freeze approximately US$46.9 million in USDT linked to pig butchering operations across Asia-Pacific.","source":"Chainalysis","source_url":"https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/apac-law-enforcement-freezes-pig-butchering-funds-august-2025/"},{"date":"2026-05-20","event":"Central Java Regional Police arrest 39 suspects across 7 crime scenes in Sukoharjo and Surakarta, dismantling the PT Digi Global Konsultan pig butchering operation. Suspects include 28 Indonesians, 7 Nepalese nationals, and 4 Myanmar nationals.","source":"The Star / ANTARA News","source_url":"https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2026/06/04/indonesian-police-bust-international-online-scam-syndicate-in-central-java"},{"date":"2026-06-01","event":"Central Java Police hold press conference in Semarang; Senior Commissioner Himawan Sutanto Saragih announces results of the investigation and confirms FBI assistance has been requested given all victims are U.S. citizens.","source":"Tempo.co / ANTARA News","source_url":"https://en.tempo.co/read/2106408/police-fbi-bust-major-online-scam-hq-in-solo"},{"date":"2026-06-02","event":"Tempo.co publishes English-language report on the bust; subsequent coverage follows in The Jakarta Post, The Star, The Online Citizen, and The Cooldown.","source":"Tempo.co","source_url":"https://en.tempo.co/read/2106408/police-fbi-bust-major-online-scam-hq-in-solo"},{"date":"2026-06-03","event":"The Online Citizen reports FBI has formally joined the Indonesian investigation.","source":"The Online Citizen","source_url":"https://theonlinecitizen.com/2026/06/03/fbi-joins-indonesian-investigation-into-alleged-us-targeting-crypto-fraud-syndicate"}]},"v":1}

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