"AI trading robots" and guaranteed-profit investments

What happened

Mas Bayu's laundry business is getting busy. In his school alumni group, a friend shared screenshots of a balance going up every day. "Use the AI robot, bro. It trades, we sleep. One percent a day, three months already."

Mas Bayu nearly moved his savings for a new washing machine. But he asked himself: if it's that easy, why sell the robot to other people, and why does his friend get a bonus every time someone joins? He checked the company's name with OJK. It wasn't registered.

Why is this dangerous?

OJK, Indonesia's financial services authority, lists AI trading robots promising high, automatic profits among AI-based fraud methods. The pattern isn't new. In 2022, Bappebti, the commodity futures regulator, explained that robot-trading offers usually promise fixed profits of around 1 percent a day or 15 to 30 percent a month and push people to recruit new members. The profits turned out to be paid from members' own money. Bappebti blocked 336 robot-trading platforms at the time.

The losses can be huge. In 2022 the police handled several robot-trading cases, and one of them caused losses of about Rp1.2 trillion for about 12,000 members.

Warning signs

• Profit is promised as certain, fixed or "risk-free". Real investments always carry risk.
• The numbers are too good: a few percent a day or dozens of percent a month.
• You get a bonus for bringing other people in.
• "AI" or "robot" is used to explain why the profit is so high, with no explanation that makes sense.
• You are pushed to join quickly, and money is hard to withdraw.

Rules for your shop

1. 1Use OJK's 2L principle: Legal and Logical. Legal means the company is licensed. Logical means the promised profit makes sense.
2. 2Check the licence before paying in anything: at sipasti.ojk.go.id, OJK's contact centre 157, or OJK's WhatsApp 081-157-157-157.
3. 3Keep business capital and investment money separate. Never use the shop's capital to chase quick profits.
4. 4A screenshot of a balance is not proof. The balance in an app can keep rising until the day you can't withdraw it.
5. 5If you have to recruit people to make a profit, stop there.

If it already happened

1. Stop paying in, whatever the reason, including a "withdrawal fee" or "tax" to release your balance.
2. Keep all evidence: app screenshots, chats and transfer receipts.
3. Report it to OJK on 157 or at sipasti.ojk.go.id, and to the Indonesia Anti-Scam Centre at iasc.ojk.go.id or through your bank.
4. Don't invite others to join to "cover the loss". That only adds victims.

Full steps for the first hour: Already been scammed?