Fake transfer receipts made with AI

What happened

Sari sells clothes on social media. At nine in the evening a buyer sent a screenshot of a transfer receipt for six pieces. "Done, sis, please ship tonight, I've already booked the courier."

The picture looked neat: bank logo, amount, time, reference number. But Sari has a habit: goods only leave once the money shows in her bank app. She opened her account history. No money had come in. The buyer vanished.

Why is it harder to spot now?

OJK, Indonesia's financial services authority, has warned that faking transfer receipts with AI is spreading. Bank Mandiri explains that fake receipts can be made with editing apps, receipt-generator sites or AI. BCA adds that a carefully made fake may have no visible flaws at all.

So don't rely on your eyes. Bank Mandiri puts it plainly: a transfer receipt is not final proof of payment. The only valid proof is money actually recorded in your account.

Warning signs

• The buyer pushes for fast shipping, for example "the courier is on the way" or "I need it tonight".
• The transfer happens outside normal hours and you are asked to trust a picture.
• The buyer says they overpaid and asks you to send the difference back. BCA lists this as a known trick.
• Fonts, layout or colours on the receipt differ slightly from usual. But a picture that looks perfect is not proof either.

Rules for your shop

1. 1Goods leave after the money arrives. Always check the transaction history in your own banking app, not a screenshot from the buyer.
2. 2Only one or two people may say "paid". Staff wait for your confirmation instead of looking at the buyer's picture.
3. 3Turn on incoming-transaction notifications in your bank app so real payments show up straight away.
4. 4Never refund an "overpayment" until that money is actually recorded in your account history.
5. 5Time pressure is a reason to slow down, not speed up. An honest buyer will wait a few minutes.

If it already happened

1. If the goods have shipped, contact the delivery service as soon as possible. Sometimes the parcel can still be stopped.
2. If you also transferred an "overpayment", call your bank on its official number, for example Halo BCA 1500888 or Mandiri Call 14000.
3. Report it to the Indonesia Anti-Scam Centre at iasc.ojk.go.id or through your bank, and keep all chats and screenshots.
4. Tell fellow sellers in your community about the trick, without spreading anyone's personal data.

Full steps for the first hour: Already been scammed?