Beware! Social Media Comments Now Targeted by Online Gambling Bots
The Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemkomdigi) has revealed a new modus operandi for online gambling that utilises social media comment sections to target Indonesian citizens. The public is urged to remain vigilant and avoid interacting with accounts that perform these automated promotions.
Alexander Sabar, Director General of Digital Space Supervision at Kemkomdigi, noted a 128 per cent surge in online gambling content over the last two weeks (14–28 June 2026). This increase is driven by organised transnational activities using bot systems to monitor popular posts in real-time.
“When posts from high-reach accounts experience increased interaction, the system automatically spreads comments containing promotions or links to online gambling sites,” said Alex, as reported by Antara on Monday (29/6).
Kemkomdigi data shows that between 1–28 June 2026, 126,180 pieces of online gambling content were handled. Although the majority of findings originated from websites (111,279 pieces of content), the promotional method via comment sections on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok is now increasingly aggressive in hunting for new victims.
Alex explained that this phenomenon is closely linked to the momentum of the 2026 World Cup, which perpetrators are exploiting for sports betting. Identified bot accounts are, on average, based in India and Brazil, targeting accounts with large followings and high engagement.
Perpetrators use variations of keywords and hashtags such as “RAWIT BET”, “BARA13”, and “KABUL” to evade the automated moderation of platforms. Kemkomdigi has ensured that these keywords have been integrated into the national blocking system.
In addition to blocking access to content, Kemkomdigi is coordinating intensively with the Indonesian Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK), the Financial Services Authority (OJK), and law enforcement agencies. Concrete steps taken include requests to close bank accounts and digital wallet (e-wallet) accounts suspected of being linked to online gambling activities.