Jakarta. Indonesia has finally joined the UN Convention against cybercrime as it seeks to tame rampant online scams.

Foreign Minister Sugiono inked the convention at the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday local time, ushering in more support for the treaty that will bind countries not to provide safe havens for cybercrime offenders.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry admitted online scams were among the reasons why Indonesia gave its signature, while adding that Jakarta had “actively” negotiated the convention.

“For Indonesia, this convention is crucial for strengthening efforts to prevent and criminalize cybercrimes at the national level,” the press release reads.

“It provides a foundation for Indonesian law enforcement to enhance international cooperation against cybercrime, including online scams, online gambling, and child porn.”

Indonesia will also “make the necessary preparations” before giving its consent to be bound to the treaty, a process better known as ratification.

Jakarta, however, did not set a fixed ratification deadline. 

The treaty urged governments to take measures against online fraud, illegal interceptions, electronic data interference, among others. It allows countries to share electronic evidence for serious crimes.

Many Indonesians have gotten duped into working for abusive Cambodian online scam centers, a problem that had worried other ASEAN nations. Cambodia is among the 91 nations that have signed the cybercrime treaty.

Despite the seemingly massive support, only Qatar, Azerbaijan, and Vietnam have already ratified the document so far. The convention requires at least 40 countries to ratify it before becoming international law. 

According to a 2025 Global Anti-Scam Alliance report, the average Indonesian encounters 55 scams each year. Some 14% of Indonesian adults lost money to scams over 12 months. The loss reached Rp 1.7 million (nearly $95) per person, with most of the money sent via bank transfers.

Add as a preferred source on Google +