IASC launches joint operation to combat cross-border fraud
A joint operation was conducted to strengthen coordination among authorities in combating the growing global threat of cross-border fraud. The Indonesia Anti-Scam Centre (IASC), along with nine authorities from Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Thailand, Macau, Brunei Darussalam, and Canada, has carried out a coordinated operation to combat transnational financial scams. The operation, named Operation FRONTIER+, ran from 10 March to 7 May 2026.
‘The joint operation aims to strengthen inter-authority coordination in tackling cross-border fraud, which is increasingly prevalent globally and causing significant losses to the public and financial sector,’ said Hudiyanto, Chair of the Secretariat of the Task Force for Eradicating Illegal Financial Activities, in a statement on Monday in Jakarta.
The operation involved over 3,200 personnel targeting various fraud schemes, including e-commerce scams, job fraud, investment scams, impersonation of government officials, and fraud disguised as relatives or friends.
Key achievements include the arrest of 3,018 individuals aged 13 to 85; investigation of 7,553 suspected fraudsters; exposure of over 138,000 fraud cases causing total losses of approximately $752 million (Rp13.229 trillion); freezing of around 102,000 bank accounts linked to fraud; and the seizure of over $161 million (Rp2.832 trillion) in illicit funds.
Hudiyanto added that the establishment of the international FRONTIER+ collaboration platform is a strategic move to enhance international coordination in combating fraud. The platform involves representatives from anti-scam centres in 14 jurisdictions, including Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Maldives, Thailand, Macau, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Australia, United Arab Emirates (Dubai), South Africa, and the United States.
FRONTIER+ serves as a real-time information and intelligence sharing platform, supporting regular cross-border joint operations. The platform is set to expand to include more countries to improve the effectiveness of global fraud enforcement.
As the complexity of transnational fraud schemes increases, the public is urged to remain vigilant and understand digital crime risks. Key advice includes: not trusting offers promising high returns in short periods; verifying the legitimacy of businesses and financial services through OJK’s official channels (Contact 157); avoiding suspicious messages, social media offers, or unclear links; safeguarding personal data, including OTP codes and passwords; and promptly reporting suspected illegal financial activities to sipasti.ojk.go.id and fraud reports to iasc.ojk.go.id.
‘This international collaborative effort is expected to deter offenders and better protect the public from increasingly sophisticated and organised fraud threats,’ Hudiyanto stated.