LiputanIslam.com— The National Consumer Protection Agency (BPKN) said investment fraud offers have increased amid the pandemic.
BPKN commissioner Firman Turmantara Endipradja revealed, with the increasing use of the internet during the pandemic, business actors used social media to stab their victims.
“Like the developments that have occurred recently, social media has been used by illegal investment perpetrators to ensnare their victims,” said BPKN Commissioner Firman Turmantara Endipradja, Sunday (27/9).
Read: Core: Recession Will Trigger Massive Wave of Layoffs
Social media is a powerful place for investment fraud companies to market their products comprehensively. The number of victims is very large and the value of the losses reaches hundreds of billions.
People are tempted to invest because the perpetrators offer great returns. Now that people are experiencing economic difficulties due to the pandemic, so they are looking for alternative income, such as investing.
“Most consumers are tempted by the lucrative profits in the investment fraud trap,” he said.
This was also conveyed by the Economist of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef), Bhima Yudhistira. He conveyed that many illegal investments emerged in the midst of the pandemic by offering high returns.
“So during this pandemic, there are still many investments that offer bonuses and offer rewards which are actually irrational in a business scheme to get a large enough reward,” he said.
According to him, the public must first learn the business model offered before investing. If there is any suspicious activity, the public can report it to the relevant authorities, such as the Financial Services Authority Investment Alert Task Force.
“So, this needs to be the public’s attention, right? Don’t be easily tempted, then you also have to do cross-check. “Must proactively report to the authorities because the ability of the OJK is also limited,” he said. (sh/detik/liputan6)