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Medium reported severity Investigation Opened

Gresik, East Java: police say a woman was extorted by illegal online-loan collectors who sent AI-manipulated obscene photos of her; she paid about Rp3 million

East Java police and three Indonesian outlets report that a 34-year-old woman from Manyar, Gresik Regency, was extorted by people claiming to be debt collectors for illegal online-loan apps. According to Liputan6, which quotes the woman, the first WhatsApp demand on 22 September 2026 forced her to pay Rp1.6 million before the due date; a second number then claimed a fictitious Rp2.9 million bill, threatened to spread her ID card photo, and shared fabricated obscene photos of her paired with her ID card to Gresik-area Facebook groups, after which she paid again. Detik reports a total of about Rp3 million transferred, quoting the Gresik police chief; the two figures are not reconciled. The chief, who found her crying at the Manyar police post during a visit on 7 October 2026, is quoted by beritajatim as saying she received manipulated photos said to be obscene ('foto hasil manipulasi') used as pressure to meet the collector's demands; beritajatim's own report calls them AI fabrications ('hasil rekayasa akal imitasi (AI)'), and SuaraJatim, which says it takes the quote from beritajatim, renders it as obscene photos that were AI fabrications ('hasil rekayasa AI') used as a tool of terror and psychological pressure. Detik quotes him saying the photos were, per the complainant, not of her. The case was taken over by the Gresik police criminal unit; no suspect is identified and the tool is not named.

AI system
Unidentified image tool
Occurred
22 Sept 2026
Reported
7 October 2026
Event location
Indonesia
What the AI did
Depicted or impersonated the person
Reported harm
Financial LossPsychological DistressExploitation or Abuse
Whose AI use
Someone else’s AI use
Setting
Finance · Privacy · Everyday life
Evidence
AI involvement reported · Causal attribution alleged · 4 sources, 3 underlying accounts
5 claims: 5 reported. 6 open questions
People reported harmed
1 person

AI system as recorded: AI image manipulation, as described by the Gresik police chief and beritajatim/Suara, producing obscene photos with the woman's face (tool not identified)

What Happened

The extortion. Liputan6 (reporter Hermawan, 8 October 2026), quoting the woman, reports that on 22 September 2026 at about 08:10 she received a WhatsApp message from a collector for an online-loan app called Amanah demanding immediate repayment of Rp1.6 million although the due date was 24 September; she paid. Not long afterwards another WhatsApp number, claiming to be from a different app, Dana Dompet, demanded a fictitious Rp2.9 million, gave her ten minutes, threatened to circulate her ID-card photo like a wanted notice and then shared fabricated obscene photos of her, paired with her ID card, to Gresik-area Facebook groups. She says she had never borrowed through that app, paid Rp2.9 million out of fear, and went with her husband to the Manyar police post to report it. Detik (8 October 2026) reports that the first app, Pinjam Amanah, was not registered with the financial regulator OJK, that the collector sent indecent edited photos and threatened to spread them on social media including Gresik Facebook groups, and that the total transferred was about Rp3 million, quoting the police chief; Liputan6's two payments add to Rp4.5 million, and the difference is not explained in either body.

The police account of the AI material. beritajatim (7 October 2026) reports that the collectors sent obscene photos that were AI fabrications ('foto syur hasil rekayasa akal imitasi (AI)') and quotes the Gresik police chief, AKBP Ramadhan Nasution, saying the woman received manipulated photos said to be obscene that were allegedly used as pressure to meet the collector's demands. SuaraJatim (8 October 2026, citing beritajatim) quotes him saying she received obscene photos that were AI fabrications used as a tool of terror and psychological pressure, and describes the material as pornography made by manipulating her face with AI. Detik quotes him saying that, according to the complainant, the photos were not of her. No forensic examination and no tool are described.

Discovery and response. All four outlets report that the chief heard the woman crying at the sector post's service counter during a working visit on Wednesday 7 October 2026 and checked her complaint himself; the case was taken over by the Satreskrim of Polres Gresik together with the Manyar post, and investigators are tracing the numbers and documenting the digital evidence. SuaraJatim describes her as suffering severe psychological shock.

What is not established. The perpetrators are not identified; whether the photos were in fact generated or altered with AI rests on the police chief's description as reported; the extent of the Facebook distribution is not quantified; the total loss is reported as about Rp3 million by police and as two payments totalling Rp4.5 million by the victim's account in Liputan6.

Reported harm

According to beritajatim's report of the Gresik police chief's briefing, SuaraJatim's quotation of the chief, and the woman's account in Liputan6, collectors for illegal online-loan apps sent her fabricated obscene photos, described as AI-made by beritajatim and by the chief as quoted by SuaraJatim, and, per Liputan6, posted them with her ID card to local Facebook groups to force payment; she transferred about Rp3 million (police figure) and was found crying at the police post in severe psychological shock.

Outcome

Ongoing

The woman reported the extortion at the Manyar sector police post on 7 October 2026; the Gresik police chief, present on a working visit, directed that the case be handled at regency level by the Satreskrim criminal unit together with the sector post. Police say they are tracing the phone numbers and digital evidence; no arrest is reported as of 8 October 2026.

What remains unknown

  • Who operated the numbers and whether they were connected to the loan apps named
  • Whether the photos were generated or altered with an AI tool, which rests on the police chief's description as reported; no forensic examination or tool is described
  • Whether the chief himself used the word AI: beritajatim's quotation of him says manipulated photos, while SuaraJatim's version of the same quote says AI fabrications
  • The total paid (about Rp3 million per the police chief in Detik; Rp1.6 million plus Rp2.9 million per the woman in Liputan6)
  • How widely the photos were distributed on Facebook and whether they were removed
  • When the second demand and the Facebook posting happened (Liputan6: not long after 22 September 2026)

What the evidence supports

AI involvement: reported. beritajatim reports that the collectors sent the woman obscene photos that were AI fabrications ('hasil rekayasa akal imitasi (AI)'), and SuaraJatim quotes the Gresik police chief saying she received obscene photos that were AI fabrications ('hasil rekayasa AI') used as a tool of terror and psychological pressure, describing them as pornography made by manipulating her face with AI. The fabricated images depicted her (depicted_or_impersonated) and were the instrument of the extortion: Detik and Liputan6 report that the collectors threatened to spread, and per Liputan6 did spread, the photos with her ID card to Gresik Facebook groups, after which she paid. The AI description is the police chief's as reported; Detik and Liputan6 call the photos edited or fabricated without naming AI; no examination or tool is described.

5 claims: 5 reported. What the statuses mean

Reported A 34-year-old woman from Manyar, Gresik, reported to the Manyar sector police post on 7 October 2026 that people claiming to be online-loan debt collectors had threatened and extorted her, and the Gresik police chief, on a working visit, found her crying there and had the case handled by the regency criminal unit.

Causal attribution. The police chief's own account of finding the complainant and taking the case, as quoted by beritajatim and detik; Liputan6 reports the same handling. Outlets relay one police statement and the complainant's report.

  • beritajatim.com(opens in new tab) supports · Indonesian
    '“Saat kami melaksanakan kunjungan kerja di Polsek Manyar, kami melihat ada ibu-ibu menangis di SPKT. Setelah kami cek, ternyata korban mengalami pemerasan dan ancaman dari nomor yang mengaku pihak pinjol,” ujarnya, Rabu (7/10/2026).'; 'Kasus tersebut kini lanjut dia, ditangani aparat gabungan Satreskrim Polres Gresik dan Polsek Manyar.'
  • detik.com(opens in new tab) supports · Indonesian
    'Wanita 34 tahun warga Manyar, Gresik itu mengaku jadi korban penipuan, pengancaman hingga pemerasan seorang Debt Collector (DC) Pinjaman Online (Pinjol).'
  • liputan6.com(opens in new tab) supports · Indonesian
    'Saat ini, jajaran Satreskrim Polres Gresik tengah memburu para pelaku di balik teror pinjol tersebut.'
Reported The collectors sent the woman obscene photos that beritajatim describes as AI fabrications and that the Gresik police chief, as quoted by beritajatim, calls manipulated photos used as pressure to make her pay; SuaraJatim, citing beritajatim, quotes him calling them AI fabrications used as a tool of terror and psychological pressure; Detik quotes the chief saying the complainant said the photos were not of her.

Causal attribution. The AI description is beritajatim's narrative and SuaraJatim's rendering of the chief's quote; beritajatim's own quotation of the chief says 'manipulated' photos; Detik's quote of the chief and its own wording ('hasil editan') do not name AI. No examination of the images is described.

  • beritajatim.com(opens in new tab) supports · Indonesian
    'Korban warga Manyar Gresik diduga diperas dan diancam setelah penagih meneror dengan ancaman menyebarkan data pribadi hingga mengirim foto syur hasil rekayasa akal imitasi (AI) bernuansa asusila.'; '“Korban mengaku menerima sejumlah foto hasil manipulasi yang disebut bernuansa syur. Materi tersebut diduga digunakan sebagai alat tekanan agar segera memenuhi tuntutan penagih,” ungkapnya.'
  • jatim.suara.com(opens in new tab) supports · Indonesian
    '"Korban menerima sejumlah foto bernuansa syur hasil rekayasa AI. Materi asusila editan itu digunakan pelaku sebagai alat teror dan tekanan psikologis agar korban segera memenuhi sejumlah uang yang dituntut," tegas Ramadhan.'; 'penagih utang tersebut mengirimkan materi pornografi hasil manipulasi wajah korban menggunakan teknologi kecerdasan buatan (Artificial Intelligence/AI) atau lazim dikenal sebagai deepfake.'
  • detik.com(opens in new tab) supports · Indonesian
    '"Jadi dari informasi yang kami dapat dari pelapor, pelapor akan disebarkan data pribadinya dan diberikan beberapa foto yang dinyatakan oleh pelapor adalah bukan foto yang bersangkutan," lanjut Ramadhan.'; 'Pelaku juga disebut mengirim foto tidak senonoh hasil editan dan mengancam akan menyebarkannya melalui media sosial, termasuk grup-grup Facebook di Gresik.'
Reported Under the threats the woman transferred money to accounts given by the collectors: about Rp3 million in total according to the police chief as quoted by Detik, and two payments of Rp1.6 million (22 September 2026) and Rp2.9 million according to her account in Liputan6.

Causal attribution. Two accounts of the amount: the police chief's reported total (Detik) and the complainant's itemised account (Liputan6); they differ and neither outlet reconciles them.

  • detik.com(opens in new tab) supports · Indonesian
    'Total uang yang ditransfer korban kepada pihak yang mengaku sebagai DC pinjol itu mencapai sekitar Rp 3 juta.'; '"Kurang lebih sekitar Rp 3 juta yang dilaporkan," tambah Ramadhan.'
  • liputan6.com(opens in new tab) supports · Indonesian
    'Peristiwa tersebut bermula pada 22 September 2026. Sekitar pukul 08.10 WIB, korban menerima pesan WhatsApp dari penagih aplikasi pinjol berinisial Amanah. Meskipun masa jatuh tempo sebenarnya baru tiba pada 24 September 2026, korban dipaksa melunasi tagihan saat itu juga sebesar Rp1,6 juta dengan ancaman. Korban akhirnya menuruti permintaan tersebut dan melunasinya.'; 'Di bawah tekanan dan rasa takut, korban yang mengaku tidak pernah meminjam melalui aplikasi tersebut akhirnya mentransfer uang Rp2,9 juta.'
Reported According to Liputan6, quoting the woman, the second collector shared fabricated obscene photos of her paired with her ID card to various Gresik-area Facebook groups; Detik reports the collector threatened to spread edited indecent photos through Gresik Facebook groups.

Causal attribution. The distribution to Facebook groups is reported by Liputan6 from the woman's account; Detik reports only the threat to distribute. Single origin for the actual posting.

  • liputan6.com(opens in new tab) supports · Indonesian
    'Tak hanya mengancam, pelaku kemudian membagikan foto syur hasil rekayasa yang disandingkan dengan KTP korban ke berbagai grup Facebook wilayah Gresik.'
  • detik.com(opens in new tab) supports · Indonesian
    'Pelaku juga disebut mengirim foto tidak senonoh hasil editan dan mengancam akan menyebarkannya melalui media sosial, termasuk grup-grup Facebook di Gresik.'
Reported Detik reports that the first app, Pinjam Amanah, was not registered with the financial regulator OJK, and Liputan6 reports that the second demand came from a number claiming a different app, Dana Dompet, with a fictitious bill.

Causal attribution. Detik's own gathered information and the woman's quoted account; no regulator statement is cited.

  • detik.com(opens in new tab) supports · Indonesian
    'Aplikasi bernama Pinjam Amanah itu tidak terdaftar di OJK (otoritas jasa keuangan).'
  • liputan6.com(opens in new tab) supports · Indonesian
    'nomor WhatsApp lain dari aplikasi berbeda, Dana Dompet, datang meneror korban dengan klaim tagihan fiktif senilai Rp2,9 juta'

Sources

4 sources inspected, from 3 underlying accounts. Sources that repeat one account do not corroborate each other.

How the sources were read, and where the events happened

Read in the original Indonesian on 2026-10-10 (HTTP 200) by the research agent (an AI); English renderings in this record are the research agent's own translations and no human translator reviewed them. beritajatim.com report by its own newsroom (dny/ted) quoting the Gresik police chief on Wednesday 7 October 2026. Applies to s1.

Read in the original Indonesian on 2026-10-10 (HTTP 200) by the research agent (an AI); English renderings in this record are the research agent's own translations and no human translator reviewed them. SuaraJatim.id states it quotes the police chief from beritajatim.com, its network partner; same group as s1. Applies to s2.

Read in the original Indonesian on 2026-10-10 (HTTP 200) by the research agent (an AI); English renderings in this record are the research agent's own translations and no human translator reviewed them. detikJatim report by its own reporter (photo credit Jemmi Purwodianto) quoting the police chief on Thursday 8 October 2026 and information gathered by the outlet. Applies to s3.

Read in the original Indonesian on 2026-10-10 (HTTP 200) by the research agent (an AI); English renderings in this record are the research agent's own translations and no human translator reviewed them. Liputan6 regional report (photo credit Hermawan) quoting the woman directly on Thursday 8 October 2026 and the police chief; it spells the chief's name differently from the other outlets. Applies to s4.

Event countries: Indonesia. Affected-person countries: Indonesia. Court countries: Unknown.

Event: the demands reached the woman in Manyar, Gresik Regency, East Java, the photos were shared to Gresik-area Facebook groups and the report was made at the Manyar sector police post (all four bodies). Affected person: a resident of Manyar, Gresik. No court is involved.

Reviewed for publication 2026-10-10: Published as a reported case: four Indonesian outlets in three reporting chains describe a concrete extortion of one identified-by-initials adult woman, and beritajatim describes the obscene photos sent to her as AI fabrications while quoting the Gresik police chief calling them manipulated photos used to pressure her into paying; SuaraJatim, citing beritajatim, quotes the chief calling them AI fabrications. The AI description is attributed to the police chief and the complainant; the amount paid is reported in two differing figures; the perpetrators and the tool are unknown. Identity is minimised to age and sub-district; the initials used by the outlets are not repeated.

People described

A 34-year-old woman from Manyar sub-district, Gresik Regency, East Java, described by Liputan6 as a housewife, who had borrowed from an unregistered online-loan app and was then extorted with fabricated obscene photos of her

People reported harmed in this case

1 person

0 AI participants · 1 other person harmed

One person: the 34-year-old woman named by initials in all four bodies, who received the fabricated photos, was depicted in them and paid. Her husband accompanied her to the police post and is not counted. No other victim is described; she did not use the AI.

Counted once within this case. The same person may appear in other cases. This count does not establish AI causation.

Tags

#deepfake#intimate-image-abuse#extortion#online-loan#pinjol#indonesia#east-java#facebook#whatsapp

Cite this case

Compiled per our published methodology: verification statuses, sourcing standards, and corrections process.

APA

NOPE. (2026). Gresik, East Java: police say a woman was extorted by illegal online-loan collectors who sent AI-manipulated obscene photos of her; she paid about Rp3 million. AI incidents. https://nope.net/incidents/2026-gresik-illegal-online-loan-collectors-ai-manipulated-obscene-photos-extortion-woman-paid

BibTeX

@misc{2026_gresik_illegal_online_loan_collectors_ai_manipulated_obscene_photos_extortion_woman_paid,
  title = {Gresik, East Java: police say a woman was extorted by illegal online-loan collectors who sent AI-manipulated obscene photos of her; she paid about Rp3 million},
  author = {NOPE},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {AI incidents},
  url = {https://nope.net/incidents/2026-gresik-illegal-online-loan-collectors-ai-manipulated-obscene-photos-extortion-woman-paid}
}

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