OJK Urges Public to Verify BPS Officers During Economic Census to Prevent Scams

The Financial Services Authority (OJK) is urging the public to be cautious when providing personal data to officials conducting the 2026 Economic Census. The measure is necessary to anticipate fraudulent practices by parties claiming to be officers of Statistics Indonesia (BPS). The 2026 Economic Census, organised by BPS, runs from 15 June to 31 August 2026. Data collection includes personal information such as income and asset ownership. The implementation of the census may raise concerns among the public, including the potential misuse of personal data for tax purposes or other interests by irresponsible parties. Responding to this, Chairperson of the OJK Board of Commissioners Friderica Widyasari Dewi stated that the BPS Economic Census is a major agenda held every ten years and is crucial for detailing Indonesia’s economic development. Kiki, as she is familiarly known, said the OJK supports the census, particularly to ensure that all Financial Services Business Actors (PUJK) provide accurate answers to BPS officers. The data will serve as a basis for formulating future economic policy. ‘Because the OJK also has an interest in seeing more granular data, especially in the regions, for other data that is then examined,’ Kiki said during a press conference for the Seminar on Scams titled ‘Strengthening Defenses Against Scams: Addressing AML Vulnerabilities and Compliance in Digital Finance and Virtual Assets’, held by the OJK in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Central Jakarta on Monday (6/7/2026). Kiki also affirmed the OJK’s confidence in BPS’s credibility in conducting the Economic Census, including its field officers. She noted that the decades of experience BPS officers have in collecting public data are a key asset in maintaining the quality of the census. ‘They have been doing this for decades, and BPS is a state institution that certainly maintains the confidentiality of data belonging to the public and the census respondents. So, we trust BPS’s credibility in carrying out this census,’ she said. Kiki added that the OJK also collaborates with BPS on national surveys, giving it an understanding of the methodology and mechanisms applied in the field. ‘The Standard Operating Procedure is very strict, and that is a good thing,’ she stated. Despite this, Kiki acknowledged the potential for fraud during the Economic Census, urging the public to remain vigilant. ‘However, we cannot deny that there may be parties who piggyback on this. Therefore, the key is for the public to be alert. They must cross-check whether the officer is genuinely from BPS. Ensure you check their identity card,’ she stressed. In addition to checking the officer’s BPS identity card, the public can also confirm with the local neighbourhood or community unit head. BPS officers typically coordinate with local officials before conducting data collection. ‘Perhaps check with the RT/RW first, because they usually do not come directly. They contact the RT/RW and so on beforehand,’ she continued. The public is therefore expected to be more thorough when receiving census officers. By verifying identities and confirming with local officials, the public is expected to avoid scam practices. According to data from the Indonesia Anti-Scam Center (IASC), there were 608,168 scam reports in Indonesia during the period from 22 November 2024 to 30 June 2026, with total financial losses reaching Rp 674.1 billion.