Coretax-Based Fraud Scam Sees Hundreds of Millions Vanish Instantly

Jakarta – A new fraud scam has emerged, with an Instagram user (@mandharabrasika) recently sharing their experience of falling victim to a phone scam impersonating Indonesian tax authorities.

The perpetrators conducted the fraud by posing as tax officials and exploiting public confusion regarding the Coretax platform. They cited errors or discrepancies to initiate contact with victims.

The scammers gained credibility by accurately mentioning unpublished personal data, including NPWP (tax identification numbers) and other information never previously disclosed. This convinced victims that they were indeed speaking with genuine tax office employees.

“Remarkably, they smoothly cited data we had never published – NPWP numbers and so forth. This made our team confident that the caller was a genuine tax official,” the victim explained.

The perpetrators then sent links to install an application and offered assistance by requesting screen-sharing access. This screen-sharing feature proved critical to the fraud, as it allowed the scammers to view sensitive device information including usernames, PINs, and passwords.

Once in possession of this information, the criminals gained access to and emptied the victims’ bank accounts.

To ensure success, the scammers employed psychological pressure tactics, creating urgency and preventing victims from pausing to consult others or think clearly about the situation.

The victim has filed reports with their bank, police, and the Financial Services Authority (OJK). However, these investigations remain in progress with no significant developments to date.