KAI warns public to be wary of ticket purchases via digital financial services
PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) Daop 4 Semarang, Central Java, has reminded the public to be vigilant against social engineering scams involving ticket bookings through digital financial transaction services, specifically ‘PayLater’ features.
“We are committed to providing education and protection to the public in digital transactions. Therefore, we urge the public to be wary of fraud modes disguised as social engineering that utilise digital financing features (Paylar) on third-party platforms/e-commerce,” said Luqman Arif, Public Relations Manager of KAI Daop 4 Semarang, in Batang, Central Java, on Monday.
He stated that this modus operandi purely targets the psychological manipulation of victims and does not represent a vulnerability within the train ticket booking system itself.
The scam begins when perpetrators persuade victims under the pretext of asking for help, offering commissions, or promising instant profits to book train tickets using the victim’s personal PayLater credit limit. Once the ticket is issued, the perpetrator uses control over the booking account to process a ticket refund. As a result, the refund money flows into the perpetrator’s account, while the victim remains burdened with the obligation to pay the PayLater instalment and its associated interest.
He noted that all KAI sales and operational systems currently operate with high security standards and are strictly verified. “We emphasise that KAI’s transaction infrastructure and ticketing systems are fully secure. This mode is purely social engineering outside of KAI’s direct operational ecosystem, exploiting negligence and individual financing limits,” he said.
He advised customers to conduct bookings independently through the official Access by KAI application or the kai.id website to ensure security, data certainty, and comprehensive service ease. As a guide for the public to avoid similar scams, KAI Daop 4 Semarang is sharing transaction security guidelines via official KAI channels, prioritising direct bookings through the Access by KAI app or the official booking.kai.id page.
Furthermore, the public is advised to avoid buying tickets for strangers or agreeing to book tickets for unknown parties, especially using personal financial accounts or instalment/loan facilities. Users should also manage their accounts and personal data carefully and save conversation records if suspicious indications are found.
“If the public finds indications of fraud or becomes a victim of this digital crime, they should immediately report it to the nearest police station, contact the customer help service of the relevant platform provider, and confirm the validity of the ticket through official KAI channels,” he concluded.