How to Report a Scam in Indonesia (and Recover Your Money)

Quick answer: Report to the Indonesia Anti-Scam Center (IASC) online and call your bank immediately to request a transaction freeze — the faster you act, the better your chance of recovering anything.

What to do in 3 steps

1. Call your bank or e-wallet right now. Use the customer-service number on the back of your card or in the app and say the words “penipuan” (fraud) and “pemblokiran rekening” (account freeze). Give the recipient account number, the amount transferred, and the time. Banks can escalate internally to freeze outgoing funds, but only if they hear from you before the transfer settles. Every minute counts — Indonesia’s OJK found that victims who wait an average of 12 hours rarely see any money returned.
2. File a report with IASC. Go to iasc.ojk.go.id and complete the online form. You will need: your transfer receipt or screenshot, the scammer’s account number and/or phone number, screenshots of any conversation or fake site, and your own contact details. IASC coordinates directly with banks, e-wallets, and Polri to block reported accounts, so this report is the formal trigger for a cross-institution freeze. You can also report via the OJK hotline on 157 (free, available 24/7) or WhatsApp 081-157-157-157.
3. Escalate to the financial regulator and police. If your scam involved a fraudulent investment, illegal online loan, or fake financial product, also contact OJK directly at 157 or email [email protected]. For criminal investigation, file a formal police report (Surat Tanda Terima Laporan) at patrolisiber.id online or at your nearest Polsek/Polres. A police case number is often required by banks to initiate a formal chargeback inquiry.

Where to report

IASC — Indonesia Anti-Scam Center (iasc.ojk.go.id)
Launched by OJK (Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority) in November 2024 as the single hub for financial fraud. Your report goes directly to a coordination desk that can instruct banks and e-wallets to freeze accounts in near-real-time. This is the most effective first stop for any money-transfer scam.

Patroli Siber (patrolisiber.id)
The online portal of Bareskrim Polri’s Cyber Crime Directorate (Dittipidsiber). Use this to lodge a formal criminal complaint, particularly for hacking, account takeover, or scams that did not involve a bank transfer (e.g., marketplace fraud where goods were never delivered). Reports here feed the national criminal database and can lead to prosecution.

CekRekening.id
Run by the Ministry of Communication & Digital Affairs (Komdigi). Before you transfer money to anyone, paste their bank or e-wallet account number here to see if it has already been flagged as fraudulent. If you have been scammed, you can also submit a report to flag the perpetrator’s account and protect others.

SP4N-LAPOR! (lapor.go.id)
Indonesia’s national public-service complaints portal. Useful if you need to escalate a complaint that is being ignored by a specific institution (a bank that refuses to act, or a government office being unresponsive). Reports are routed to the relevant ministry, agency, or local government. Accessible via website, SMS to 1708, or the mobile app.

Aduan Konten (aduankonten.id)
Also operated by Komdigi. Report fake websites, phishing pages, and fraudulent social-media accounts here to get them blocked by Indonesian internet service providers. You can also report via WhatsApp to 0811-922-4545 or X/Twitter at @aduankonten. If the scammer is still running ads or a fake storefront online, this is the tool to take it down.

Helplines that matter

• 110 — Indonesian National Police (Polri) emergency line, 24/7.
• 157 — OJK Kontak 157, free, 24/7. The direct line for all financial-sector fraud including scams, illegal investment, and unauthorised bank transactions. Also available as WhatsApp at 081-157-157-157 and email [email protected].
• 1708 (SMS) — SP4N-LAPOR! SMS complaint channel (Telkomsel, Indosat, Three).
• 0811-922-4545 (WhatsApp) — Komdigi Aduan Konten, for reporting fraudulent websites and social-media accounts.

Can you get your money back?

Honestly: it is difficult, but not impossible — and speed is everything. Of the Rp 8.2 trillion reported lost to IASC in its first year (to 30 November 2025), only around Rp 389.3 billion was successfully frozen. That is under 5 cents on every dollar reported. The gap exists almost entirely because victims wait too long: OJK says the national average is 12 hours between the scam and the first report, whereas the practical window to freeze a transfer before it is withdrawn or moved is closer to 10–30 minutes.

If you contact your bank the same day, they may be able to submit an inter-bank freeze request. Under OJK’s anti-fraud regulation (POJK 12/2024), banks are now required to have dedicated fraud-response teams and to coordinate with IASC on blocking requests. The more evidence you bring (transfer screenshot, scammer’s account number, conversation logs), the faster they can act.

For marketplace fraud (goods paid for, never delivered), your e-commerce platform’s buyer-protection system is often faster than the police — raise a dispute through the platform first, then file with IASC and Patroli Siber. For investment scams and illegal online loans, OJK can take regulatory action even if criminal recovery is slow.

Protect yourself next time

• Check the account first. Paste any unfamiliar bank or e-wallet number into cekrekening.id before you transfer. It takes ten seconds and is free.
• Verify the seller or investment platform independently. Licensed financial products are listed at OJK’s official website (ojk.go.id). If a platform is not on that list, it is illegal.
• Never share OTP codes, PINs, or passwords with anyone, including people claiming to be bank officers, OJK staff, or government officials. None of them will ever ask.
• Slow down when there is urgency. Scammers create artificial time pressure (“act in the next hour or lose your prize”). Legitimate offers do not expire in minutes.
• Use two-factor authentication on your banking and e-wallet apps and keep your phone number registered with your bank current.

If you have been targeted, you are not alone — see our country-by-country cybercrime help hub for step-by-step reporting and recovery guides.