Indonesia Moves to Expand Hajj and Umrah Fraud Awareness in Rural Areas

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah recorded 64 fraud cases involving 3,550 victims as of July 6, 2026, Deputy Minister Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak said.

Many of the victims came from rural communities, where limited access to reliable information about pilgrimage travel operators has made residents vulnerable to scams.

"Fraud involving Umrah and Hajj travel is extremely widespread, and most of the victims are people living in villages," Dahnil said.

The ministry is preparing a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions to strengthen public education on Hajj and Umrah services.

The proposal was discussed during a meeting between Dahnil and Villages Minister Yandri Susanto in Jakarta.

Under the planned cooperation, the government intends to use village facilitators to deliver information directly to communities, including guidance on identifying legitimate pilgrimage operators and avoiding fraudulent travel schemes.

The village ministry has 25,380 facilitators working across 37 provinces, providing an extensive network for reaching communities beyond major urban centres.

Public complaints indicate that fraudulent pilgrimage travel schemes remain a persistent problem. Authorities received around 400 complaints in 2023 and approximately 500 in 2024. A further 189 complaints had been recorded by September 2026.

For many rural families, the financial losses can be particularly damaging. Some victims spend years saving money to fulfil their ambition of travelling to Islam's holiest sites.

Dahnil said gaps in public understanding of Hajj and Umrah arrangements had created opportunities for unscrupulous operators to exploit religious trust for financial gain.

The planned partnership aims to strengthen prevention through community-level education, helping prospective pilgrims verify travel operators before handing over their savings. (Gusti)