JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital (Wamenkomdigi) Nezar Patria said that the activity of sending spam messages (spam) and online fraud (scam) has now evolved into an industry of cybercrime.
Nezar explained that this activity is now developing into an industry because of the large potential profits obtained by the perpetrators.
According to internal data from one telecommunications company, the financial losses due to spam and scams could reach 500 million US dollars or the equivalent of Rp. 8.4 trillion.
"So I think spam and scams can be said to have evolved into an industry of cybercrime. They have reaped more than 500 million US dollars and this figure is very significant," said Nezar in Jakarta, Antara, Friday, February 6.
Nezar said the government could not work alone in protecting the public from the threat of cybercrime. He saw the active role of all stakeholders, especially mobile operators and digital platforms, as necessary in this effort.
Nezar appreciates the protection measures taken by one of the mobile operators in preventing spam and scam practices that have reached 2.5 million service users and blocked 2 billion spam and scam attempts.
"This initiative is a shining example of how the industry can contribute proactively to create a safe, comfortable, and productive ecosystem for all Indonesians," he said.
Furthermore, he explained that the government had just imposed a policy of registering mobile phone numbers using biometric methods.
He highlighted that online fraud perpetrators took advantage of the ease of mobile number registration which allowed him to frequently change his driver's license to avoid detection. Therefore, the government requires registration of mobile numbers using validated identities.
"That (the policy of registering mobile phone numbers with biometric methods) is one of the steps we are taking. This is also to provide a sense of security for all users of digital networks in Indonesia," said Nezar.
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