Minister Of Communication And Information Closes Access To 4,906 Illegal Online Loans

Minister of Communication and Information Johnny G Plate/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

JAKARTA - The Minister of Communication and Information, Johnny G. Plate, said that since 2018 there have been 4,906 illegal online loans whose access has been cut off so that they are no longer disturbing the public.

Johnny invites the Indonesian people to play an active role in guarding the digital space from the circulation of digital online loans so that virtual activities can be more productive.

"The Ministry of Communication and Informatics invites all elements of the public to be more actively involved in realizing Indonesia's digital ecosystem, especially in online loan financial services to make it more conducive and more productive," Johnny said as quoted by Antara, Friday, October 29.

The illegal online loans that were prosecuted were spread on various platforms, both application providers such as the Google Play Store, file sharing sites and social media.

The termination of access to illegal online loans comes from three reports, starting from public complaints, cyber patrols from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, and reports from the Financial Services Authority (OJK).

According to Johnny, after the findings were collected, the next step was submitted to the OJK for verification before being followed up with the termination of access by the Ministry of Communication and Informatics.

If it has been verified, the next step is for the Ministry of Communication and Information to contact the Police so that further steps can be taken.

In addition to severing access to illegal online loans, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics has also received reports relating to thousands of accounts being used for these illegal activities.

"As of October 2021, the Ministry of Communication and Information has also received 5,327 account reports used for fraud related to fintech or online loans. The report compiled a blacklist database of 400,000 accounts collected by Kominfo through the Cekrekening.id platform," he said.

The Minister of Communication and Information stated that the database can then be used by ministries, institutions, and law enforcement officials who are authorized to implement account-based crime prevention and handling programs.

Further action can be taken by the OJK and the banking industry players following the applicable law.

In order to keep the digital space productive, the Minister of Communication and Information urges the public to be wiser in choosing financial products and service providers, including online loans.

"In parallel, Kominfo also invites all financial service providers and legal online loan providers to be able to provide clear, concise, and not confusing information to the public regarding the use and consequences that must be borne by the community if they make online loans," explained Johnny.