Just Watch Chinese Drama, Money Can Be Lost: New Modus of Digital Fraud 2026

Illustration of the Chinese Drama film (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - The modus of digital fraud continues to evolve in ways that are increasingly difficult to recognize. If previously the public was more familiar with bogus investments or illegal online loans, now perpetrators take advantage of everyday activities that look simple and safe, ranging from guessing pictures, watching ads, to watching Chinese dramas or dramas.

This new scheme often makes victims unaware that they are falling into a fraud trap. Activities that look like part-time jobs or entertainment platforms are used to attract funds and recruit new members.

This phenomenon is of concern in Operation Frontier+, an international operation to eradicate digital fraud that took place from March 10 to May 7, 2026. The operation, which involved a number of countries and regions such as Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Canada, and Brunei Darussalam, managed to uncover the scale of cross-border digital crime.

A total of 3,018 people were arrested and more than 7,500 others are still under investigation. The authorities also revealed more than 138,000 cases of fraud with a total loss of around US$752 million or equivalent to Rp13.2 trillion. In addition, approximately 102,000 bank accounts were frozen and funds from crimes worth more than Rp2.8 trillion were successfully secured.

In Indonesia, the Illegal Financial Activities Eradication Task Force (Satgas Pasti) found that perpetrators began to take advantage of the digital trend that was popular in the community. The modus operandi used is no longer in the form of suspicious large investments, but rather light tasks that seem easy to do.

In May 2026, the Pasti Task Force stopped the activities of five entities suspected of carrying out fraud and illegal investments, namely Cantvr, Yudia, Appeninc, VID, and Sensenowai.

One of the modes that caught attention was Yudia. This platform uses the popularity of Chinese dramas or dramas to catch victims. Users are promised additional income just by watching dramas and completing certain daily tasks.

However, after joining, the victims were directed to buy the copyright of Chinese drama films that did not have clarity of legality. They were also encouraged to recruit new members to obtain additional bonuses. Based on the findings of the Pasti Task Force, these activities do not have official permits and are not registered as Electronic System Operators (PSE) in Indonesia.

A similar modus was also found on Appeninc which represented the official foreign company Appen Inc from the United States. Victims were asked to carry out simple tasks such as guessing images through certain applications. Although it looks easy, users are required to deposit funds and invite new members to get bigger profits.

Meanwhile, VID promises monetary rewards just by watching ads or following certain projects that turn out to be unreal. As for Cantvr, it offers stock investments and allocation of fictitious IPO shares with the lure of high profits based on membership levels.

In the digital asset sector, Sensenowai runs a crypto investment mode disguised as a copy trading service through the Wapex application. Members are asked to deposit funds and recruit new users to get bonuses and daily income.

The Financial Services Authority (OJK) reminds the public not to be easily tempted by unreasonable offers of quick profits. The public is also asked to be aware of platforms that ask for initial deposit, promise large income in a short time, or use the name of foreign companies to increase the trust of potential victims.

The Pasti Task Force emphasized that the pattern of member getting members is one of the main signs that should be suspected. In many cases, the profits received by old members do not come from real business activities, but from the deposits of new members who continue to be recruited.

Therefore, the public needs to be more vigilant about various online job offers and entertainment applications that promise instant income. Because in 2026, digital fraud methods are no longer always in the form of bogus investments, but can start from activities as simple as watching dramas.