Believe It! Intentionally Defaulting on Online Loans Brings Disaster – The Weapon Turns on Its Master
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The public is advised to assess their financial condition first before applying for loans, whether through bank credit or online loans, to ensure payments can be made on schedule.
Nevertheless, cases of defaults (galbay) or bad debts continue to be prevalent. The causes vary, including limited funds, poor financial management, and a lack of understanding of loan terms.
This phenomenon is common, especially when borrowing from online loan services with relatively easy requirements. So, what risks will be faced if one fails to repay an online loan debt?
Chairman of ICT Watch, Indriyatno Banyumurti, stated that the risks of defaulting on online loan debts are quite significant. For example, one will be haunted by increasingly large fines, psychological disturbances due to piling debts, and legal threats.
Indriyatno also mentioned that social media content related to the default phenomenon tends to go viral more quickly because it is negative in nature. Therefore, financial education for online loan consumers is needed.
“Why is there promotion of defaults (galbay)? Content needs to be provided to counter such content. If one intends to default, even planning it that way, there are legal risks,” Indriyatno explained in the FintechVerse 360kredi podcast on YouTube, quoted Saturday (25/4/2026).
In addition to legal risks, defaults also impact the decline in the SLIK OJK credit score for users. This can result in difficulties in applying for credit, such as purchasing motor vehicles or home loans.
“So don’t take it lightly that simply shirking responsibility, avoiding payments to fintech lending (pindar), and then living peacefully,” said Indriyatno.
Currently, there are 95 legal licensed online loan providers under OJK. Meanwhile, OJK records outstanding online loan financing as of February 2026 reaching Rp100.69 trillion. This achievement grew by 25.75% year-on-year.
Meanwhile, the aggregate non-performing loan ratio (TWP90) rose to 4.54% in the same period. This figure increased compared to the previous TWP90, which was around 2%.
The same sentiment was expressed by IdScore’s Commercial Director, Wahyu Trenggono, who said that every individual must maintain and check their credit history or credit score to avoid difficulties in obtaining funding.
“Credit scoring must be maintained, because the impact is very broad. Later, one won’t be able to get a job, it’s hard to find work, even finding a partner is difficult if the score is bad,” he said at the AFPI Journalist Workshop and Gathering in Bandung recently.
With several default risks, the public should be more cautious when deciding to borrow money from online loan services. Ensure you are confident in repaying the borrowed money.