Antara News·Indonesia·Monday, October 5, 2026 at 05:38 AM UTC

OJK urges youth to boost public financial literacy, curb scams

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Aria Ananda, Raka Adji

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK) is calling on the younger generation to become financial literacy ambassadors, aiming to boost public awareness of digital scams and foster wiser money management.

The call was highlighted during the Financial Healing 2026 event, themed "Smart Digital Financial Literacy: Safe Transactions, Wise Investments" held in Jakarta on Saturday (Oct 3), as part of Financial Inclusion Month (BIK) 2026.

In a statement received here on Monday, Dicky Kartikoyono, OJK's Chief Executive of Conduct Supervision of Financial Services Providers, Education, and Consumer Protection, noted tech-savvy youth can actively raise financial awareness within their communities.

The role is becoming increasingly crucial as the convenience of digital transactions comes with a rise in various scam tactics, ranging from messages urging recipients to download unofficial applications to illegal online lending schemes.

Dicky urged the public not to rush into clicking links, downloading applications, or following instructions in messages without verifying the facts and the source first.

He noted losses from scams have reached around Rp12 trillion (around US$668.3 million) over the past two years.

According to Dicky, that figure does not fully reflect total losses, as not all victims report their cases. Therefore, he encouraged the public to build a habit of double-checking before making payments or transfers.

OJK is also advocating for the development of tools to help consumers run checks before conducting transaction, including verifying a company's legal status and validating the destination accounts.

He underscored the consumer protection approach must shift from merely responding to losses after they occur toward a more proactive approach, preventing people from falling victim in the first place.

Meanwhile, the 2026 National Financial Literacy and Inclusion Survey (SNLIK) showed Indonesia's financial literacy index at 69.57 percent, with the financial inclusion index reaching 93.61 percent.

The government emphasises expanded access to financial services must be paired with a solid understanding of product benefits and risks to prevent people from making hasty financial decisions.

This is deemed essential as financial literacy extends beyond simply accessing financial products and services; it serves as a foundation for managing daily finances and choosing investments aligned with individual needs, capacity, and financial goals.

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