Indonesian Citizens' Money Stolen: Rp 9.1 Trillion in Fraud Losses, 1,000 Reports Daily
The Indonesian Financial Services Authority (OJK) has recorded 432,637 complaints from the public compiled through the Indonesia Anti Scam Center (IASC) as of 14 January 2026.
Previously, OJK Board Member for Education and Consumer Protection, Friderica Widyasari Dewi, stated that the authority had blocked more than 397,000 accounts suspected of being linked to fraud activities.
“There is Rp 9.1 trillion in public funds reported missing due to these scams, where IASC has managed to block or save funds amounting to Rp 432 billion,” she said during a working meeting with Commission XI at the Indonesian Parliament building in Jakarta on Thursday (22 January 2026).
The official explained that the majority of fraud reports originated from Java island, with more than 303,000 reports. “Followed by Sumatra and other regions,” she said.
Meanwhile, the reported fraud methods are quite diverse. The most common cases stem from shopping transaction fraud with approximately 73,000 reports. Other methods include fake calls, investment scams, job vacancy fraud, and fraud involving prize giveaways.
Given the high development of such fraud, Dewi said the OJK greatly appreciated support from all stakeholders and the public regarding efforts to eradicate scams and illegal lending activities.
On the other hand, the OJK acknowledged that there are particular challenges in handling these scams, including a surge in complaints reaching approximately 1,000 reports per day, or 3-4 times higher than in other countries.
“What we also do in coordination and cooperation with other countries doesn’t amount to as many as what exists in Indonesia. Perhaps 150 reports per day, 300, 400, but in Indonesia it can reach one thousand reports per day,” she said.
According to her, this demonstrates the high escalation of fraud crime amongst Indonesian society. This challenge is compounded by the fact that approximately 80% of reports are submitted more than 12 hours after the incident. Meanwhile, in practice, funds obtained through fraud can change hands and leave the victim’s account in less than 1 hour.
“This time gap is the crucial factor in determining whether victims’ funds can still be saved or not,” she added.
On the other hand, the pattern of fund transfers is becoming increasingly complex, presenting its own challenge. Whereas previously funds only circulated within the banking sector, today victims’ money not only stops in a single bank account but is quickly transferred to various instruments and digital ecosystems.
“From accounts at other banks, electronic wallets, cryptocurrency assets, digital gold, to e-commerce platforms and other digital financial assets. This situation demands an increase in the speed of blocking across systems, across industry players, and across sectors,” she concluded.