Indonesia Blocks Thousands of Accounts Related to Online Gambling, Anticipating New Modes Becomes Focus
Jakarta – The Financial Services Authority (OJK) has taken firm steps to eradicate the increasingly rampant and evolving practice of Online Gambling. In its latest effort, OJK has frozen around 14 thousand bank accounts suspected of being involved in illegal financial activities related to online gambling. This step follows the increasingly sophisticated modus operandi used by perpetrators to deceive the banking system and the public.
The Chief Executive of the Supervision of Financial Services Business Actors’ Behavior and Consumer Protection of OJK, Friderica Widyasari Dewi, revealed that Online Gambling perpetrators are now developing more cunning strategies. They disguise gambling sites as educational pages, use credit as a means of payment, and even utilize inactive accounts and money exchange services to launder funds from crime.
“Although various enforcement efforts have been carried out, the public still becomes victims because the perpetrators continue to develop a more cunning and difficult to recognize approach,” said Friderica
In fact, she continued, there is a new mode in the form of engineering fictitious export-import transactions to disguise the flow of funds so that it appears legitimate in the eyes of the formal financial system. “This scheme is made in such a way that it is not detected by the financial transaction monitoring system and attracts public trust,” she added.
In addition to enforcement, OJK prioritizes education for the public as part of preventive efforts. Kiki emphasized the importance of digital literacy so that the public is not easily tempted by the lure of instant profits.
“Our goal is not only to eradicate the flow of funds to illegal sites, but also to create a financially literate society that is resistant to the temptation of online gambling,” he said.
Meanwhile, banking observer and payment system practitioner, Arianto Muditomo, emphasized the importance of a technology-based collaborative approach in blocking suspected accounts. According to him, the early detection system based on intelligence data from PPATK needs to be integrated with transparent cross-sector verification procedures.
“The blocking procedure must go through stages based on valid data and verification, so as not to cause negative impacts on legitimate communities,” explained Arianto.
He also highlighted the importance of accountability and customer protection in every blocking process. “The emergence of cases of wrong targeting shows that the detection and validation process needs to be strengthened,” he said.
With a comprehensive approach between enforcement, technology supervision, and public education, OJK together with stakeholders are working hard to break the chain of Online Gambling which is increasingly disturbing. ()
