Stay Alert to Year-End Holiday Fraud, VIDA Shares Safe Transaction Tips

Jakarta, 24 December 2025 – Ahead of the Christmas and New Year holiday period, Indonesians are projected to spend IDR 120 trillion on travel and holiday-related needs. However, behind the surge in shopping and digital transactions, fraud risks are rising sharply, resulting in staggering losses. Over the past year alone, IDR 8.2 trillion has been lost to fraud, with only 4.76 percent of victim funds successfully recovered.

Data from the Indonesia Anti-Scam Center (IASC) recorded 373,129 fraud reports between November 2024 and 30 November 2025, averaging 874 reports per day. Out of 619,394 bank accounts reported as being linked to fraud, only 117,301 accounts were successfully blocked.

“Digital identity is the primary 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 compromised, such as SMS-based OTPs,” said Niki Luhur, Founder and Group CEO of VIDA.

Why the Holiday Season Becomes Prime Time for Fraudsters

Based on VIDA’s findings and industry data, the year-end holiday period creates ideal conditions for fraud:

1. OTP Vulnerabilities
VIDA data shows that 80 percent of account takeovers occur due to weaknesses in SMS-based OTPs or phishing techniques. Technology that was once relied upon for security has become one of the biggest loopholes.

2. New 2025 Modus, AI Deepfake
AI-based deepfake fraud has surged by 1,550 percent in Indonesia. Fraudsters are now using AI voice cloning technology to imitate the voices of family members, supervisors, or officials, asking victims to transfer funds using voices that sound almost identical to the real ones.

3. Staggering Losses by Fraud Type
According to OJK, the three largest fraud categories are:

• Fake calls, 39,978 reports, losses of IDR 1.54 trillion

• Shopping fraud, 64,933 reports, losses of IDR 1.14 trillion

• Fake investment schemes, 24,803 reports, losses of IDR 1.40 trillion

On average, Indonesians report fraud incidents only after 12 hours, significantly slower than in other countries where reports are typically made within 15 to 20 minutes. This delay allows digital traces and funds to disappear, resulting in only 4.76 percent of stolen funds being recovered.

Bank Indonesia (BI), the Financial Services Authority (OJK), and the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) have also repeatedly warned the public to remain vigilant, particularly against fraud schemes targeting users’ digital identities.

VIDA’s Tips for Safe Transactions During the Holiday Season

As Indonesia’s leading digital identity and fraud prevention provider, VIDA shares practical steps to help users stay secure during the year-end holidays:

• Avoid Public Wi-Fi for Financial Transactions
  Public networks are vulnerable to interception and should not be used for banking or payments.

• Verify Urgent Requests
  Always confirm through known contact numbers and do not trust familiar voices on the phone without verification.

• Be Wary of Artificial Urgency
  Messages claiming “your account will be blocked” or “limited-time offers” should always be verified through official channels.

• Double-Check Transfer Details
  Ensure the recipient name and transaction amount are correct before proceeding.

• Use Biometrics Instead of OTPs
  Move away from SMS-based OTPs to biometric authentication, which is more secure and resilient against deepfake-based fraud.

Beyond the holiday season, VIDA urges both the public and industry players to remain alert to cyber threats that can occur anytime and anywhere, and to continuously strengthen security infrastructure to ensure a safe, seamless, and trusted digital experience for everyone.

For more information, visit www.vida.id.