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Victims fall prey to fake shaman 'magic money' scams
But she returned home last year penniless and in shock, saying she had been swindled out of her life savings by a trickster who now faces trial for his complex scams, and charges of murdering nine of his victims.
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This picture taken on April 27, 2023 shows migrant worker Neng Hana Patiningrum showing bank transfer documents during an interview with AFP at her home in Bekasi, West Java. (AFP/Adek Berry)
M
other-of-three Aslem was a domestic worker in Dubai when she started wiring cash to a self-professed shaman, believing that he would honour his promise to magically multiply her hard-earned wages.
But she returned home last year penniless and in shock, saying she had been swindled out of her life savings by a trickster who now faces trial for his complex scams, and charges of murdering nine of his victims.
"I have nothing now," Aslem, 42, told AFP from her cramped, dilapidated house in a remote village in Karawang, West Java.
"I wanted to renovate this small house my parents left me. I wanted to make them happy... I didn't manage to do that until the day they died."
In Indonesia, where nearly 10 percent of the population live below the poverty line, some view shamans as traditional healers.
Aslem is one of several locals who say they were scammed by people claiming to be spiritual figures, promising to turn small investments into immense wealth.
Police say some alleged scammers turn to violence when their victims come looking for their money.
