Thursday, 17 September 2026
JAMBI | INDATANEWS.COM - The growing circulation of counterfeit money is causing concern in Jambi. The perpetrators apparently no longer operate solely in secret, but are taking advantage of busy food stores that remain open around the clock to put counterfeit banknotes into circulation. In recent weeks, several traders have reported losses amounting to millions of rupiah.
The perpetrators take advantage of the hectic pace of sales staff during busy customer hours. They mix counterfeit banknotes with genuine cash, meaning traders often do not notice the losses until they examine the notes more carefully or attempt to deposit the cash at an ATM.Several traders in the 16 Mayang area of Alam Barajo District, Jambi, said they had fallen victim to the scheme. According to them, the Rp100,000 banknote is among the counterfeit denominations most frequently received.
Ali, a food trader from the 16 Mayang area of Alam Barajo, described how the perpetrators operate. According to him, they pose as customers who want to top up digital wallets such as OVO using cash.
During the transactions, the perpetrators hand over a mixture of genuine and counterfeit banknotes. Because the stores are often crowded at these times, employees frequently have no opportunity to check each note immediately."They come when the store is crowded. Because we are busy serving customers, we cannot check the money immediately. We only discover that there was counterfeit money when we check it later," Lia told journalists.
Lia said the perpetrators also take advantage of the period from midnight until the early morning hours. At those times, employees are often tired, causing their level of attention to decline.She said one of the incidents occurred on the 21st of the month at around 11:35 p.m. local time. At that time, an employee, Muklis, her younger brother, accepted cash amounting to Rp400,000.
"On the 21st at around 11:35 p.m., we received Rp400,000 when the perpetrator came. At that time, my younger brother Muklis was on duty at the store in 16 Mayang."Ali, the owner of a food store in the 16 Alam Barajo area, also said he had fallen victim. According to him, counterfeit Rp100,000 notes were among those most frequently received.
"My employee accepted the money. At first glance, it looked genuine. But when you hold the note up to the light and notice that the paper feels somewhat softer, you can tell that it is counterfeit," Lia said.According to him, the perpetrators deliberately choose times when stores are crowded. They exploit the situation so employees do not have enough time to verify the authenticity of the banknotes before placing them in the cash drawer.
"This is not the first time traders have received counterfeit money. Several cases have been reported this month alone. They include Lia, who lost Rp400,000, Sarmi, who lost Rp400,000, and my uncle, who lost Rp500,000," Lia said.
Based on the cases known to her, the total losses have reached at least Rp1.3 million. The figure does not include other potential victims who have not yet reported the incidents or may not have noticed them.The situation is increasingly worrying traders. According to them, counterfeit banknotes are becoming more similar in appearance to genuine currency. Traders who do not have banknote-detection devices therefore face difficulties in identifying counterfeits quickly.
Lia said the technology used by perpetrators to produce counterfeit money was also becoming increasingly sophisticated. For that reason, the public needs to be particularly vigilant when conducting cash transactions."The equipment used to produce counterfeit money is becoming increasingly sophisticated. The notes look very similar and are difficult to distinguish. Sometimes we only realize that they are counterfeit when we deposit the cash at an ATM. The machine rejects the note."
"We urge Bank Indonesia and the police to immediately conduct inspections and pursue the perpetrators firmly. This is not a small loss. If this continues, we could go bankrupt," Lia said angrily on Monday, August 24, 2026.
In the traders' view, the circulation of counterfeit money causes not only immediate financial losses but can also undermine public security and confidence in cash transactions. Small traders are among the groups most vulnerable to the problem because they handle numerous transactions involving different amounts of money every day.Lia hopes the police and Bank Indonesia will quickly take concrete measures to identify the perpetrators and prevent the further spread of counterfeit money in Jambi.
"This is a serious crime that cannot simply be allowed to continue. We hope the police and Bank Indonesia can put an end to it."Traders themselves must also remain vigilant, particularly when accepting large-denomination banknotes during high-risk periods. Physically examining a note, holding it up to the light, and using banknote-detection devices can help identify counterfeit money before it enters the cash register.
Anyone who finds counterfeit money or considers a banknote suspicious should immediately report it to the relevant authorities. This is important so authorities can trace the circulation of counterfeit money and take action against the networks behind its distribution.The circulation of counterfeit money in Jambi is a problem that requires serious attention. Through cooperation among traders, the public, police and Bank Indonesia, prevention and enforcement can be carried out more effectively so that financial losses suffered by the public do not continue to increase. (IDNC)
REPORTER: Dalil Harahap | EDITOR: Fik Sagala
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