Scam Emergency in Indonesia: Rp 9.1 Trillion Lost, 1,000 Complaints Per Day
The wave of fraud or scam crimes in Indonesia is increasingly alarming. The Financial Services Authority (OJK) records that total public losses due to these actions have reached Rp 9.1 trillion, with a surge in reports now exceeding around 1,000 complaints every day.
Based on data from the Indonesia Anti-Scam Center (IASC) as of 14 January 2026, the number of incoming reports has reached 432,637 complaints. This figure reflects a significant escalation in digital-based financial crimes in the country.
OJK Commissioner for Education and Consumer Protection, Friderica Widyasari Dewi, revealed that her agency has taken various handling measures, including blocking hundreds of thousands of accounts suspected to be linked to fraud.
“There is Rp 9.1 trillion in public funds reported lost due to these scams. From that amount, IASC has successfully blocked or saved around Rp 432 billion,” she stated during a working meeting with Commission XI of the House of Representatives in Jakarta, quoted on Sunday (19/4/2026).
The woman, familiarly known as Kiki, explained that the highest number of cases originate from Java Island with more than 303,000 reports. Meanwhile, other regions like Sumatra follow in second place.
In terms of modus operandi, shopping transaction fraud is the most dominant with around 73,000 reports. Additionally, the public has also fallen victim to fake call schemes, bogus investments, job scam fraud, and promises of prizes.
This surge in cases, according to OJK, is inseparable from the high level of digital activity among the public, which is not yet fully matched by financial literacy and vigilance against fraud risks.
Reports Explode, Indonesia Surpasses Other Countries
OJK acknowledges that one of the biggest challenges is the surge in reports that far exceeds other countries. While in other countries daily reports range from 150 to 400 cases, Indonesia can reach 1,000 reports per day.
“This shows that the escalation of fraud crimes in Indonesia is very high,” said Kiki.
This situation is further exacerbated by delays in reporting from victims. Around 80% of reports are only submitted more than 12 hours after the incident. In practice, however, scam proceeds can change hands in less than one hour.
This time gap becomes a crucial factor in determining whether victims’ funds can still be saved or not.
Funds Flow to Many Instruments, Making Them Harder to Track
Not only is the number of cases increasing, but the patterns of movement of crime proceeds are also becoming more complex. Previously, funds only circulated in bank accounts; now perpetrators utilise various digital instruments.
Victims’ funds can quickly be transferred to other bank accounts, e-wallets, crypto assets, digital gold, e-commerce platforms, and various other digital financial instruments.
This development demands a much faster and more integrated response, including cross-sector and cross-industry coordination in carrying out blockages.
OJK also emphasises the importance of collaboration between regulators, industry players, and the public to curb the pace of these crimes, including in eradicating illegal online loans that often serve as entry points for fraud.
With the continuing upward trend, vigilance is the main key to ensure the public does not become the next victims in the proliferation of digital financial crimes.