West Java SMEs Taught Digital Literacy to Prevent Scams and Illegal Online Loans

Bandung, VIVA – The School of Staff and Leadership First (Sespimma) of the Indonesian National Police is promoting the strengthening of digital literacy for UMKM (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) actors, amid the proliferation of online scams.

The strengthening of digital literacy for UMKM actors was conveyed during a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) at the office of the West Java Provincial Cooperative and Small Business Office (Diskuk), on Monday, 4 May. This dialogue forum is part of the Professional Work Lecture (KKP) of the Sespimma Polri Middle Education Force Batch 75.

The collaboration between Polri and the West Java Provincial Diskuk aims to strengthen the role of UMKM so that they can grow, be safe, competitive, and maintain economic stability while also safeguarding public security and order.

In the dialogue, Widyaningsih, Head of Small Business Empowerment Division of Diskuk Jabar, revealed that the number of UMKM stands at 5.4 million units, absorbing 7.9 million workers. She assessed the challenges faced by UMKM actors, besides access to financing and business capital, include low digital literacy, legal protection in the business ecosystem, and many being trapped in online loans (pinjol) and digital scams.

“The failure of UMKM financing is not merely a business issue; this condition triggers a chain of impacts: low literacy, entrapment in pinjol leading to damaged SLIK and business bankruptcy, which continues to mass unemployment and frictions that end in disruptions to public security and order,” she stated.

The same sentiment was expressed by Mochammad Danny Fulton, Head of Small Business Development Division of Diskuk Jabar. He revealed that the majority of UMKM actors still do not have a Business Identification Number (NIB). According to him, this makes UMKM vulnerable to scams, illegal business practices, and digital crimes.

Meanwhile, UMKM actors hope for assistance from Diskuk Jabar and support from Polri so that local UMKM can develop more quickly and safely.

From these issues, Sespimma Polri acknowledges that in the field, various problems are faced by UMKM. In online-based businesses, common scam tactics include transfers just before closing time.

This makes it difficult for UMKM actors to verify and they do not know where to report. In addition, disruptions from thuggery still frequently occur.