Credit Card Scams in Indonesia: A Serious Problem
Credit card scamming is an issue everywhere in the world. Unfortunately, while I was recently in Indonesia, I experienced an issue that caused me to have to cancel my card because someone took my card and probably took a photo of the back of it.
Take a look at this video:
So basically, what happens is this: Let's say you use your card at some establishment. The person doing their side hustle—selling your information—takes a photo of it and sells it in some sort of marketplace. Next thing you know, you will see small transactions on your card in, let's say, some random town in the U.S. The scammers start with very small transactions to test your card and your response before they make a big transaction. This Vice video shows the mentality behind a person involved in these types of schemes.
So, considering that Indonesia is a hotbed for this, what I'm doing to prevent my card information from being taken and sold to scammers is the following:
- I installed the OVO application as soon as I landed at the airport and got a SIM card. At this point, what I do—and what you should do—is load the OVO application with cash at any convenience store in the country or at an ATM. Once you have OVO up and running, just use QRIS, which is the Indonesian version of QR Code payments, to pay for everything.
- Block the security code on the back of your card with hard-sealed tape, or take a photo of your card and use whiteout or a similar chemical to block people from viewing that code. Use your card only if you absolutely need to.
I think if you follow these two suggestions, you will put yourself in a position where you won’t experience this problem while traveling in Indonesia. Having your credit card numbers taken and sold while you’re on the road—and having to have a new card mailed to you, if your bank even does that—is a huge problem you can avoid by being aware and prepared throughout your travels.