Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – Indonesia's National Police, in cooperation with the Financial Services Authority (OJK), has uncovered two illegal online lending platforms called Dompet Selebriti and Pinjaman Lancar that allegedly extorted users and leaked their personal data.

Authorities said at least 400 people have fallen victim to the schemes.

Investigators have blocked and seized funds linked to the two platforms, amounting to Rp14.29 billion across multiple bank accounts.

Deputy Director for Cybercrime at the National Police's Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim), Commissioner General Andri Sudarmadi, said seven operators behind the illegal loan services have been named suspects.

"The suspects will face multiple charges based on their respective roles," Andri said during a press briefing at Bareskrim Headquarters on Thursday, November 20, 2025.

Police said debt collectors working for the apps continued to harass users even after loans had been fully repaid, using abusive language and threatening to spread personal data to force additional payments.

Why victims are easily targeted

OJK Deputy Director Dahnial Apriyadi explained that illegal lenders thrive because many users unknowingly give the apps full access to their personal data during registration.

These platforms typically require access to contacts, device storage, and private information, allowing operators to threaten borrowers with mass data exposure.

Dahnial said other challenges include the low financial literacy of many users and the appeal of instant loan approval. Illegal lenders rarely require documentation, and many people turn to them after being rejected by banks.

"People want fast disbursement, and when they cannot obtain loans from banks, they turn to illegal online lenders," he said.

He added that perpetrators can easily launch new apps, since creating a lending platform takes as little as one day and many servers are hosted overseas.

In the case of Dompet Selebriti and Pinjaman Lancar, police said the apps were developed by two Chinese nationals identified as LZ and S, who are currently being pursued.

Dahnial also noted that Indonesia has become a lucrative target for unlicensed financial service providers, with foreign operators exploiting the country's large consumer base by developing their own websites and mobile apps.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2067634/why-indonesians-remain-vulnerable-to-illegal-loan-app-abus