Posts urging Indonesians to re-register for health insurance link to imposter webpage

Published on February 21, 2025 at 04:20
2 min read
By AFP Indonesia

Indonesia plans to complete a reform of its multi-class national health insurance system before July 2025, but social media posts encouraging policyholders to "re-register" direct users to an imposter website that collects personal data. A health ministry spokesperson told AFP the posts, which claim premium payments for the year will be waived, are a "hoax".

"The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd classes are removed, please re-register your BPJS card, because the BPJS premium will be free," reads Indonesian-language text on an image shared on Facebook on February 2, 2025.

The text is referring to the reform of the Indonesian government-run health insurance programme (BPJS Kesehatan), which will be completed by the end of June 2025 (archived link).

Currently, Indonesians pay monthly premiums for one of three classes of inpatient service. The new system, which aims to eliminate discrimination and ensure equal access to health services, sees the three classes replaced by a single Standard Inpatient Class.

It has not yet been announced what the premiums will be for this single class.

The Facebook post encourages users to take advantage of the "free BPJS service" by clicking through to a linked website mocked up to look like an official Indonesian government portal, and appears to suggest people can register there for free health insurance.

Screenshot of the false Facebook post, captured on February 12, 2025

Similar claims were also shared elsewhere on Facebook here and here, with comments on the posts indicating users were misled.

"I want to register, how do I do it?" read one comment, while another said, "What are the requirements?"

Imposter website

But Ministry of Health spokesperson Widyawati told AFP on February 17 that the posts are a "hoax".

The page linked to in the circulating social media posts is not an official Indonesian government website.

Indonesian government websites use the top-level domain "go.id", but the hoax webpage has the domain "my.id".

The genuine BJPS registration portal asks for the applicant's full name, ID number, BPJS card number, and tax information. The imposter page asks its potential victims to enter their name and an active number for the encrypted messaging app Telegram.

Screenshot comparison of the imposter website linked to in the false posts (left) and the genuine BPJS webpage (right)

All Indonesians need to pay a monthly premium for health insurance, and only individuals with no income or who cannot fulfil their basic needs are eligible for free insurance (archived link).

The country's Ministry of Social Affairs validates the eligibility of these individuals.

AFP has previously debunked other scam posts circulating in Indonesia related to the country's health insurance agency.

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