Head of Public Relations of the Polda Metro Jaya, Kombes Pol Budhi Hermanto

progresifjaya.co.id, JAKARTA – The Cyber Investigation Directorate (Ditressiber) of the Polda Metro Jaya has uncovered hundreds of cross-border online fraud cases that have ensnared thousands of victims in Indonesia. From January to August 2025, 2.597 police reports related to cybercrime were recorded, resulting in public losses reaching Rp24,3 billion.

In an official statement, the Head of Public Relations of the Polda Metro Jaya, Kombes Pol Bhudi Hermanto stated, that of the hundreds of online fraud cases based on foreign servers uncovered by the Polda Metro Jaya Cyber Task Force, the most common forms of online fraud were online scams, phishing, and illegal online loans (pinjol).

This cybercrime trend increased significantly from May to July 2025, with more than 800 reports received in just two months. The methods used are also increasingly sophisticated—from part-time job scams, fake crypto investments (pig butchering scams), to sextortion.

Investigators have also identified an international network involving perpetrators from three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, and Cambodia. In Indonesia, this network operates by finding nominees to open bank accounts and crypto wallets. These accounts are then sent to Malaysia to be collected and sold to online fraud networks in Cambodia.

According to official records from the Cyber Crime Directorate of the Polda Metro Jaya, these online fraudsters used WhatsApp as the primary platform for fraud, accounting for 486 cases. This was followed by Instagram with 98 cases, Facebook with 66 cases, and e-commerce with 30 cases. Phishing, smishing, malware, and AI-based deepfake methods are also being used as sophisticated methods to steal victims personal data.

“This crime is organized across borders. The perpetrators use the latest technology, from fake apps on the Play Store to facial manipulation with deepfakes,” explained Kombes Pol Bhudi Hermanto in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday, (1/11).

Blocking Thousands of Websites

The Polda Metro Jaya has established a Cyber Task Force and collaborated with the Illegal Financial Activities Eradication Task Force (Satgas PASTI) established by the Financial Services Authority (OJK) to suppress online crime and various illegal financial activities in Indonesia.

As a result of this collaboration, from early 2024 to October 2025, the PASTI Task Force blocked 4.063 illegal apps, websites, and content. They also closed 117 bank accounts used for fraudulent transactions and deactivated 2.422 phone numbers and WhatsApp accounts.

Furthermore, from 2017 to date, the activities of 13.230 illegal financial entities have also been halted. These thousands of illegal financial entities comprise 1.813 illegal investment entities, 11.166 illegal online loans (pinjol), and 251 illegal pawnshops. Total public losses due to these illegal investments reached a staggering Rp142,131 trillion by the first quarter of 2025.

To address this issue, the Polda Metro Jaya has launched the SIBER UNGKAP (SIKAP) – Anti-Scam Center application. This is an integrated online fraud reporting service system using information technology.

The application, with the official domain https://metrojaya.id, is an integrated system between the police, financial institutions, and supervisory authorities specifically tasked with handling public complaints regarding online fraud and blocking the perpetrators’ accounts quickly and accurately.

Before this system was launched, the process of blocking the accounts of fraudsters took up to 12 business days due to various manual processes and interbank coordination.

Now, with the SIBER UNGKAP (SIKAP) – Anti-Scam Center application, the account blocking process takes only 15 minutes after the report is declared valid. Victims no longer need to go to the police station to report, as reports can now be made online.

“Public digital awareness is the first line of defense against online fraud. Therefore, we urge all residents of Jakarta and Indonesia to be more vigilant, careful, and brave in reporting. The Polda Metro Jaya is committed to strengthening digital literacy and taking firm action against perpetrators,” asserted Kombes Pol Bhudi Hermanto offering reassurance. (Bembo)