Table of Contents
The reason holidays are a momentum for fraud
1. Avoid public Wi-Fi for transactions
2. Verify the emergency request
3. Be aware of the pressure of urgency
4. Check transfer details
5. Use biometrics, not OTP
Jakarta, domclub Indonesia
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Increased transaction activity ahead of the holidays
Christmas and New Year
This is a moment often exploited by cybercriminals to attack their victims using various methods, from phishing to using artificial intelligence (AI) for deepfake fraud.
Indonesian people are projected to spend IDR 120 trillion on holiday needs.Behind the euphoria of shopping and digital transactions, the threat of fraud lurks with astonishing losses.
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A report from digital identity service provider VIDA stated that IDR 8.2 trillion was lost in the last year, with only 4.76 percent of victims’ funds recovered.
Meanwhile, data from the Indonesia Anti-Scam Center (IASC) recorded 373,129 fraud reports from November 2024 to November 30 2025 with an average of 874 reports every day.
Of the 619,394 accounts reported for fraud, only 117,301 accounts were successfully blocked.
“Digital identity is the main gateway to our financial security. With an average of 874 fraud reports every day, we can no longer rely on traditional security methods that are easily hacked such as SMS-based OTP,” said VIDA Founder & Group CEO, Niki Luhur in his statement, Wednesday (24/12).
The reason holidays are a momentum for fraud
VIDA said holiday periods like Christmas create ideal conditions for cybercriminals to carry out fraud methods, one of which is exploiting OTP weaknesses.
VIDA data shows 80 percent of account breaches occur due to SMS-based OTP vulnerabilities or phishing techniques.The technology that is relied on for security is actually the biggest gap.
Then, there is also deepfake AI-based fraud which recently jumped 1,550 percent in Indonesia.Fraudsters are now using AI Voice Cloning technology to imitate the voices of family members, superiors or officials and request fund transfers with voices that are 99 percent similar to the original.
According to OJK records, tens of thousands of reports have been received regarding fake telephone fraud attempts, shopping scams and investment fraud.The total loss from the three fraud modes was more than IDR 4 trillion.
Indonesian people themselves report fraud on average after 12 hours, much slower than other countries with an average reporting time of 15-20 minutes.This delay is said to mean that only 4.76 percent of victims’ funds can be saved because digital traces and funds have changed hands.
Bank Indonesia (BI), the Financial Services Authority (OJK), and the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) have previously reminded the public to increase their vigilance, especially regarding fraudulent methods that target users’ digital identities.
Here are some tips to ensure that users’ digital security is maintained during the Christmas holiday period:
1. Avoid public Wi-Fi for transactions
Public networks are vulnerable to eavesdropping, so should not be used for banking activities.
2. Verify the emergency request
Call back via a familiar contact number, don’t trust familiar voices on the phone.
3. Be aware of the pressure of urgency
Verify via official channels if there is a time crunch (“account will be blocked”, “limited promotion”).
4. Check transfer details
Make sure the recipient’s name and amount are correct before processing.
5. Use biometrics, not OTP
Switch from SMS OTP to biometric authentication that is more secure and resistant to deepfake fraud attempts.
(lom/dmi)
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