Since 2020, around 10,000 Indonesian citizens have been involved in online scams across ten countries. Initially concentrated in Cambodia, such cases have now spread to nine other nations. About 1,500 of these cases are classified as human trafficking crimes, where victims were forced to work for online scam operations. Some were arrested by Cambodian authorities after attempting to escape from the companies on Oct. 17.
UGM Sociology lecturer Dr. Andreas Budi Widyanta, known as Abe, explained that many of these Indonesians involved in online scams are migrant workers lacking sufficient protection, particularly in terms of human rights.
“They are part of the long-standing issue of Indonesian migrant labor abroad,” he said on Friday (Oct. 31).
According to Dr. Abe, migrant workers today face a dual challenge: the absence of adequate state protection and the growing influence of digital corporations. He noted that migrant workers are not only exploited by employers but also by digital corporations and online criminal networks.
This creates what he calls a “spiral of violence” or a cycle of exploitation perpetuated by the state, employers, and the digital system itself.
The situation, Dr. Abe added, is further worsened by the government’s lack of clear direction in regulating digital communication and media.
“The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs seems ineffective in dealing with issues such as illegal online lending, online scams, and other digital abuses,” he remarked.
He attributed the growing online scam problem to the lack of digital literacy among Indonesians, particularly among migrant workers. Many fall victim simply because they have no knowledge or training in digital technologies.
The state, he said, should take responsibility by providing digital literacy training to citizens before they depart to work abroad.
“The government should provide digital literacy training before they leave the country,” he asserted.
Dr. Abe emphasized that these cases reflect the government’s negligence in guaranteeing adequate protection for migrant workers, despite the Constitution’s guarantee of citizens’ fundamental rights.
In practice, however, many of these protections are not implemented, further compounded by weak coordination between ministries, such as the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, the Ministry of Manpower, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
To address this issue, Dr. Abe urged the government to make basic digital competency training mandatory for all migrant workers prior to their departure.
“Basic digital competency education should be a compulsory training requirement before they go abroad, and the government must oversee its implementation,” he concluded.
Author: Salwa
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Salma
Illustration: Freepik