JurnalPost.com Online shopping has become an integral part of daily life. With just a smartphone, people can purchase various necessities without visiting a store. However, this convenience also creates opportunities for digital criminals. Fictitious shops, stolen product photos, unrealistic price offers, and fake transfer receipts are among the common tactics used to defraud consumers.
The threat of digital fraud is no small matter. The Indonesia Anti Scam Center (IASC) recorded 608,168 reports of fraud between November 2024 and June 2026. Meanwhile, CNBC Indonesia reported on June 16, 2026, that fraud reports can reach 1,000 cases per day.
These figures reflect the immense challenge of creating a secure digital transaction space. While not all reports are related to online shopping, the high volume of complaints indicates that the risk of digital crime remains a serious issue.
Amidst this situation, a question arises that deserves attention: who is actually responsible when consumers lose money due to online transactions?
Consumers Should Not Bear the Burden Alone
When online shopping fraud occurs, the most common advice is for the public to be more careful. Consumers are urged to verify seller identities, read reviews, and not be easily tempted by low prices.
Such advice is certainly important. However, positioning consumer caution as the sole solution risks ignoring a much larger problem.
Not all buyers have the same ability to recognize fraud tactics. Even consumers who have tried to be thorough can still fall victim when perpetrators use convincing identities, store appearances, and transaction proofs.
The problem becomes even more complex when perpetrators can delete accounts, change identities, or move funds shortly after payment is made.
In such situations, consumers are often in a weak position. They have handed over their money but have not necessarily received the promised goods. When the seller disappears, the effort to recover the money can be a long process.
In fact, Law Number 8 of 1999 concerning Consumer Protection has provided a legal basis for protecting consumer rights.
Through Article 4, consumers have the right to comfort, security, and safety in consuming goods and services. Consumers also have the right to advocacy, protection, and dispute resolution and compensation in accordance with applicable regulations.
This means that transaction security is not solely the buyer's obligation, but also part of a protection system that should function effectively.
Legal Rules Exist, but Recovering Losses Remains a Challenge
Indonesia actually has legal instruments to prosecute fraud perpetrators.
Article 492 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code (KUHP) regulates the crime of fraud. Meanwhile, Article 28 paragraph (1) of Law Number 1 of 2024 concerning the Second Amendment to the ITE Law regulates the prohibition of spreading false or misleading information that results in material losses for consumers in electronic transactions.
However, the existence of legal rules does not automatically guarantee that a victim's money can be recovered.
Victims generally have to collect various pieces of evidence, ranging from screenshots of conversations, destination account numbers, payment receipts, to the seller's account identity. All these documents are needed to support the complaint and investigation process.
For people who do not understand reporting procedures, these steps can be confusing. Especially if the value of the loss is considered disproportionate to the time and effort required.
IASC data reported by Kontan on January 22, 2026, shows that shopping transaction fraud is one of the most reported modes. As of January 14, 2026, the number of reports reached 73,743 cases.
Meanwhile, DetikFinance reported on July 6, 2026, that out of a total loss of approximately IDR 9.3 trillion due to fraud, only about 7.24 percent of funds have been secured. The funds returned to victims were recorded at IDR 196.93 billion.
The gap between the magnitude of the losses and the funds successfully recovered shows that handling fraud should not focus solely on prosecuting perpetrators.
Restoring the rights of victims must also be a priority.
Marketplaces Need to Strengthen Buyer Protection
In addition to the government and law enforcement, electronic commerce platform providers play an important role in preventing fraud.
A marketplace is not just a place to bring sellers and buyers together. The platform also manages transaction systems, user information, and payment and complaint mechanisms that affect consumer security.
Article 15 paragraph (1) of the ITE Law requires electronic system providers to operate systems that are reliable, secure, and responsible. Provisions regarding trade through electronic systems are also regulated in Government Regulation Number 80 of 2019.
Therefore, platforms need to ensure that consumer protection mechanisms are truly functional, not just stated in the terms and conditions of service use.
One step that can be strengthened is seller identity verification. Accounts showing indications of fraud also need to be reviewed immediately so they do not continue to reach potential victims.
The use of escrow accounts or payment systems that hold funds until the transaction meets the requirements can also help reduce the risk of buyer loss.
However, such protection needs to be followed by an easily accessible and responsive complaint mechanism. Consumers should not have to go through convoluted procedures just to report goods that were not sent or transactions suspected of containing elements of fraud.
Of course, the platform's responsibility needs to be assessed based on its role in the transaction, its legal obligations, and the facts of each case. However, this does not diminish the importance of the active involvement of service providers in preventing system abuse.
Consumer Protection Requires Cooperation from All Parties
Handling online fraud cannot be burdened on one party alone.
The government needs to strengthen supervision and ensure that consumer protection regulations can be applied in accordance with the development of digital trade. Law enforcement officials need to improve their ability to track transactions while making it easier for the public to access complaints.
On the other hand, financial institutions need to strengthen coordination in following up on fraud reports, especially when there is still an opportunity to secure funds before they are moved by the perpetrator.
The speed of handling is an important factor because fraud perpetrators can move the proceeds of crime in a short time.
Education for the public is also still needed, but it must go hand in hand with strengthening security systems and law enforcement.
Consumers do need to understand the risks of digital transactions. However, individual vigilance should not be used as an excuse to ignore the responsibilities of other parties in creating a safe electronic commerce ecosystem.
Ultimately, the rise of online shopping fraud should be a momentum to re-evaluate the effectiveness of consumer protection in Indonesia.
The success of handling is not measured solely by the number of reports received or the number of perpetrators prosecuted. What is equally important is how quickly victims receive assistance and how much opportunity they have to regain their rights.
Because victims of fraud have already lost money. Do not let them also have to fight alone to obtain the protection that should be their right.
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