Tim Alper is a journalist who covers betting news and regulation for CasinoBeats. He joined the CasinoBeats team in May 2025. He reports on breaking news and developments in the world of betting, casinos, and...
Read Full BioAn Indonesian man injured himself on purpose in a bid to fake a violent robbery and cover up his online casino losses, say police.
The 29-year-old man “cut his own hand and pawned his motorbike” before filing a complaint with police officers in the Arjosari District of Pacitan Regency in East Java, the Indonesian media outlet Suara Jatim reported.
Police have identified the man as Noto Sefriatmoko, a resident of Temon Village in the Arjosari District.
Indonesian Man Filed Bogus Robbery Report, Say Police
Officers said Noto filed a report with local police. He claimed two bandits had forced him from his motorbike on the Arjosari-Gondosari Highway, near the village of Mlati, on January 10.
His assailants stole his vehicle and IRP 1 million ($60) in cash, Noto told officers. The man showed police a wound on his left hand as proof of the attack, police said. He also claimed to have suffered a cut on his left hand as a result of the incident.
But the Arjosari Police Chief, Ipda Ferry Ardianto, said that when officers followed up with an investigation, Noto’s statement “did not correspond to the facts.”
“The robbery incident never happened,” said Ipda Ferry. The police chief claimed the wound was self-inflicted.
Investigators traced the motorbike and found that Noto had pawned it to a friend in the Arjosari District. This friend gave Noto IRp 3 million ($177) for the motorbike. But Noto then spent this money on online gambling sites, police said.
When he lost the entire amount on bad bets, he began to panic. “He then resorted to fabricating a fake robbery,” officers explained.
Man Injured Himself After Betting Spree
Police said evidence, such as a vehicle registration certificate registered in the friend’s name, and proof of a $177 bank transfer, had helped prove Noto’s story untrue.
Officers said the case had been complicated by a series of social media posts made about the bogus attack.
Earlier this month, officers from the Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit said they had discovered a network of bogus firms used to launder funds from 21 illegal online casinos.
All forms of gambling are illegal in Indonesia. In 2023, Jakarta launched a crackdown on online casinos, claiming they were devastating the country’s economy.
Law enforcement agencies and anti-money laundering agencies have followed up by freezing thousands of bank accounts linked to internet gambling portals.
