Lux Projects Bali Exposes Common Developer Scam After Buying 100% of Marina Bay City Lombok
Lombok, Indonesia — November 2025 — Lux Projects Bali, the developer behind several luxury villa and resort projects across Bali, has officially completed the buyout of the remaining shares in Marina Bay City, the multi-billion-dollar “Freedom and Wellness City” currently under construction in South Lombok.
The acquisition gives Lux Projects full ownership and control of the massive coastal development, marking a new era of transparency and quality oversight in one of Indonesia’s fastest-growing real estate regions.
Warning to Foreign Developers and Investors
Following the acquisition, a Lux Projects spokesperson warned new and foreign developers in Bali and Indonesia to remain vigilant against dishonest building companies that exploit inexperienced investors.
“We discovered a common trick that cost us over AUD 1.2 million in overpayments,” a company representative explained. “Some builders deliberately overstate the percentage of progress completed on villas and hotels, sometimes claiming 80% of the work is done when the real figure is closer to 60%. Each percentage point can represent tens of thousands of dollars, allowing them to fraudulently invoice and pocket unearned funds.”
The developer said that after uncovering systematic over-reporting and falsified invoices on two Bali projects, they were forced to terminate the contractor and pursue legal remedies.
“This is one of the simplest and most damaging scams in the building industry,” Lux added. “It’s how some builders extract money early and then abandon projects, leaving foreign developers with unfinished sites and huge financial losses.”
The Need for Stronger Oversight
While stressing that most people in the industry are honest, Lux Projects emphasized that foreign investors must ensure they have strong legal representation and conduct independent audits to verify construction progress before authorizing payments.
“Like in any country, there are always fraudsters looking to take advantage of naive investors,” the spokesperson continued. “We’re pushing for better self-regulation and higher transparency across Indonesia’s booming construction sector.”
Lux Projects said it hopes to work directly with Indonesian government officials to help improve standards in the construction and real estate industry — especially to protect local workers from exploitation.
Protecting Local Construction Workers
According to Lux, some unethical builders not only defraud investors but also mistreat their own laborers.
“We’ve seen cases where workers from Java are brought to Bali, made to work for months, and then never paid,” the company revealed. “These are some of the poorest and hardest-working people, and they’re being completely taken advantage of.”
Lux Projects plans to advocate for improved worker protections and payment enforcement mechanisms.
“These laborers already earn very little — the least the builders can do is ensure they’re actually paid. We want to work with the government to improve self-regulation, enforce fair pay, and upgrade working conditions across Indonesia’s construction industry.”
A New Chapter for Marina Bay City
Now under full Lux Projects ownership, Marina Bay City continues to accelerate its development phase. The visionary coastal city — featuring luxury resorts, eco-communities, and world-class infrastructure — aims to set new benchmarks for ethical and sustainable urban growth in Indonesia.
Lux Projects’ management said the experience with unethical builders in Bali has made them more determined than ever to ensure Marina Bay City Lombok becomes a model for transparency, quality, and fair business practices in Southeast Asia’s booming property sector.
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Official Websites:
www.MarinaBay.City
www.MarinaBayLombok.com
Luxury Property Investment in Bali | Villas & Penthouses | LUX Projects Bali
Official Facebook Page:
Marina Bay City Lombok
