JAKARTA — digital literacy is the tool the Indonesian Blockchain Association, or ABI, is putting at the center of efforts to slow cybercrime that keeps getting harder to spot, especially in digital finance. In Jakarta, the group pushed cross-sector cyber safety education through a forum with regulators, local government, and industry players.
The push comes as online scams grow harder to predict. Criminals are no longer hunting only for technical gaps. They are targeting the psychology of financial users.
ABI raised the issue during the 2026 Aman Digital Festival organized by the National Cyber and Crypto Agency, or BSSN, at Jakarta City Hall a few days ago. The forum was used to line up prevention efforts across government, banks, tech firms, and crypto asset companies.
Cyber scams are shifting, and users are the main target
Deny Giovanno, a member of the Strategic Advocacy Department at the Indonesian Blockchain Association who also serves as Public Policy & Government Relations Manager at PT Pintu Kemana Saja (PINTU), said the industry can no longer stay passive. He said the surge in cybercrime is forcing businesses to stand on the front line of consumer protection.
“To fight cybercrime, we continue to push stronger cyber security literacy through ABI and its members. One of the efforts is Bulan Literasi Kripto, which has been held since 2023,” Deny said in an official statement cited on Friday, June 26, 2026.
That statement matters because today’s digital threats do not only exploit system flaws. Many scammers wait for users to let their guard down, then slip in through text messages, fake links, or scenarios that look convincing. Once the victim clicks, losses can happen in minutes.
ABI treats education as part of defense. For blockchain and crypto companies, literacy is not an extra feature. It is the base layer. Without basic understanding, users struggle to tell a legitimate platform from a fake offer, or a spoofed account from an official service.
Digital literacy and high-risk age groups
The Financial Services Authority, or OJK, through the Illegal Financial Activity Eradication Task Force, better known as Satgas PASTI, also stressed the need to strengthen digital literacy. The regulator says digital fraud patterns are moving quickly alongside technology.
Daniel Apriandi, Deputy Director at OJK’s Consumer Protection Department and secretary of Satgas PASTI, said people aged 25 to 49 are the most frequently targeted group. The reason is simple: they are the most active digital transactors, often have money in the system, and sometimes move too fast without enough verification.
“Scams using phishing and social engineering keep rising, made worse by the use of AI and deep fake technology that can now imitate a victim’s face, voice, and body language almost perfectly,” Daniel said.
That is what makes digital literacy feel so urgent. Old scams are still around, but they are now paired with tools that look far more convincing. Fake messages can look like official alerts. Mimicked voices can sound familiar. Fraud videos can win trust in seconds.
For readers, the risk is real. One click on a fake link, one transfer to the wrong account, or one upload of personal data can open the door to account takeovers. That is why OJK keeps urging the public to be more skeptical when receiving messages about investments, e-wallets, or suspicious verification requests.
Jakarta and BSSN push cross-sector teamwork
The Jakarta provincial government underlined that cyberattacks have now shifted from technical disruption to structured psychological manipulation. Marulina Dewi, head of the Jakarta Communication, Informatics, and Statistics Agency, said the threat now reaches directly into user behavior.
“On behalf of the Jakarta Provincial Government, we extend our deepest appreciation to BSSN, which has consistently pushed stronger cyber security awareness in Indonesia through various literacy programs and cross-sector collaboration,” Marulina said.
She added that cyberattacks no longer stop at systems going down. Entry points can come through social engineering, personal data leaks, and disinformation spread deliberately to confuse the public.
On the national side, BSSN is also preparing short-term steps to speed up public understanding. Satryo Suryantoro, director of security operations and information control at BSSN, stressed that the effort cannot be handled by one institution alone.
“Active involvement from all stakeholders is needed, including ministries and agencies, local governments, law enforcement, educational institutions, communities, businesses, media, and the wider public,” he said.
The approach makes sense. Digital scams rarely stay in one place. They move across platforms, exploit human weakness, then shift quickly to another channel. The response has to move just as fast: education, supervision, reporting, and enforcement.
Blockchain growth still depends on trust
ABI sees blockchain-based financial technology and crypto assets as having room to grow. The outlook remains open, and public interest has not faded. But growth without protection can create new losses that are hard to recover from.
That is why ABI places compliance, cyber security, and consumer protection as core pillars. The three are linked. If one weakens, public trust can slip. And once trust is gone, the industry can slow down even if the technology keeps advancing.
In practice, small habits still make the biggest difference. Check the website address before logging in. Turn on two-factor authentication. Never share OTP codes. Pause before clicking links from unknown senders. These small steps are often ignored, yet they are the ones that save accounts most often.
For the industry, ABI and BSSN are sending a clear message: digital defense cannot rely on software alone. Users need to understand how scams work, regulators need to keep watch, and companies need to build safer systems from the start.
Going forward, attack patterns are likely to keep changing with new technology. That is why digital literacy cannot remain a one-off campaign. It has to become a public habit, and a measure of how healthy Indonesia’s digital finance ecosystem really is.
Quick summary:
1. ABI is pushing digital literacy as a response to rising cybercrime in digital finance.
2. OJK says people aged 25–49 are the most frequent targets of phishing, social engineering, and AI-based scams.
3. BSSN, the Jakarta provincial government, and industry players are pushing cross-sector cooperation to strengthen consumer protection.
Quick FAQ:
What are the biggest threats right now? Phishing, social engineering, and deep fakes.
Who is most at risk? Active digital users, especially working-age adults.
What is the most basic step? Never share OTPs, check website addresses, and use layered security.
The challenge ahead is not only stopping the scams already in circulation, but preparing the public to recognize the next wave of fraud faster.
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