W

hen a text message (SMS) appears promoting enticing Jakarta-Bali return ticket fares for just Rp 100,000 (US$11), the offer may be too irresistible for most to refuse.

Those tempted by the offer and then check out if it is true, may at first encounter nothing suspicious, due to the seller giving a booking code that could later be confirmed by the airline operator.

The attracted customer will then transfer the money to a certain bank account depicted in the text
message.

But when the departure day comes, the customer will realize that they have been caught in a scam, as the airline operator says the ticket has just been cancelled.

Afterwards, the seller is apparently no longer contactable for complaints.

This modus operandi is the latest detected by Bank Indonesia (BI), whose task is to supervise the banking sector, including dubious bank transfers.

The endless scam schemes have posed as a wake up call for the public to remain alert, though many are already familiar with existing scam methods using cell phones as a medium.

“The scam syndicate often has a website and is suspected of attempting to hunt for more victims. So, people must be aware not to easily buy into unrealistic offers,” said BI mediation team head Sondang Martha Samosir on Friday.

According to BI, the central bank received 1,084 reports of SMS scams seeking money transfers to bank accounts in 2011.

About 1,075 bank accounts were frozen after being proven to have been owned by scammers. BI data revealed Rp 3.15 billion had been saved between October and December.

Of other schemes, probably the most popular include an unexpected text message asking for a money transfer, citing bank account details (name and number),  door prize winner announcements and offers of extremely cheap cell phone top-ups.

“SMS scams to the public are getting more plentiful. The scams are suspected of making use of bank accounts with false identities,” Sondang said.

While people, like Atun, 50, do not fall for SMS fraud, they are irritated by the scams. “It’s just unbelievable how people would fall for these kinds of SMS scams,” she said, claiming to have received the scam SMS almost every week.

The state-owned banks association, Himbara, has made efforts to educate customers to prevent them falling victim to the scams, according to Bank Mandiri corporate secretary Sukoriyanto Saputro.

The banks, whose accounts have been misused by scammers, have launched advertising campaigns to warn people to re-check suspicious text messages and report them to bank call centers.