Indonesia’s financial sector is facing a growing threat from scams, with total public losses reaching Rp7 trillion in less than a year. The data, compiled by the Indonesia Anti-Scam Centre (IASC), reveals the scale and sophistication of fraudulent schemes targeting consumers. As digital transactions rise, regulators are racing to strengthen safeguards and educate the public to prevent further damage.
Key Facts & Background
- Total reported losses (Nov 22, 2024 – Oct 16, 2025): Rp7 trillion
- Source: Indonesia Anti-Scam Centre (IASC), under OJK
- Number of scam reports: 299,237
- Reported bank accounts involved: 487,378
- Accounts successfully blocked: 94,344
- Funds recovered or frozen: Rp376.8 billion
- Top scam types by volume and value:
- Online shopping scams: 53,928 cases, Rp988 billion lost
- Impersonation scams (fake calls): 31,299 cases, Rp1.31 trillion lost
- Investment scams: 19,850 cases, Rp1.09 trillion lost
- Other scam methods:
- Job offers, prize claims, social media fraud, phishing, social engineering, fake APK files via WhatsApp
- Regulatory response:
- OJK and Satgas Pasti have blocked accounts and pursued legal action
- IASC established as a multi-stakeholder hub involving banks, marketplaces, payment systems, and crypto platforms
- Key message from OJK: Speed of reporting is critical to successful fund recovery
Strategic Insights
The Rp7 trillion loss from financial scams in under a year is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities in Indonesia’s rapidly digitizing economy. As online transactions become mainstream, fraudsters are exploiting gaps in consumer awareness, platform security, and regulatory coordination. The scale of the problem—nearly 300,000 reports and hundreds of thousands of compromised accounts—demands a systemic response that goes beyond reactive enforcement.
The establishment of the Indonesia Anti-Scam Centre (IASC) is a strategic move toward integrated fraud prevention. By co-locating banks, marketplaces, payment providers, and crypto platforms, IASC enables real-time collaboration and faster intervention. This model reflects global best practices in financial crime prevention, where cross-sector coordination is key to disrupting scam networks and recovering stolen funds.
However, the effectiveness of IASC hinges on public participation. As OJK’s Friderica Widyasari Dewi emphasized, the speed at which victims report scams directly affects the success of fund blocking. This underscores the need for widespread financial literacy campaigns, intuitive reporting channels, and proactive alerts from service providers. Empowering consumers to act swiftly is as important as building institutional capacity.
The data also reveals evolving scam tactics—from fake job offers and phishing to malicious APK files—highlighting the need for adaptive regulation and tech-driven monitoring. Regulators must work with cybersecurity experts and digital platforms to anticipate new threats and update protocols accordingly. Investment scams, which caused over Rp1 trillion in losses, point to a deeper issue of trust and transparency in financial products, requiring stricter vetting and clearer disclosures.
In the long term, Indonesia’s resilience against financial scams will depend on three pillars: education, enforcement, and ecosystem design. Financial literacy must be embedded in school curricula and community outreach. Enforcement must be swift and visible to deter repeat offenders. And digital ecosystems must be designed with fraud prevention as a core feature—not an afterthought.