Jakarta – Tens of millions of bank accounts that had been inactive for three to 12 months are now being reactivated by the Indonesian Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) as part of efforts to prevent criminal activities.
Tens of Millions of Dormant Accounts Reopened
PPATK has reactivated over 28 million previously blocked accounts, aiming to curb financial crimes and protect customer funds.
- PPATK blocked 28 million inactive accounts to prevent crime.
- Tens of millions of these accounts have now been reopened.
- Online gambling transactions saw a significant drop after account blocks.
- Customer funds in blocked accounts are confirmed to be safe.
- Reactivation requires customer verification and bank procedures.
More than 28 million accounts, previously flagged for inactivity and temporarily blocked by PPATK, have been reopened. The agency confirmed that the process of reactivating these dormant accounts is ongoing, with all customer funds remaining secure.
The accounts were initially blocked because they had been inactive for periods ranging from three to 12 months, a measure taken to prevent their misuse for criminal activities. PPATK emphasized that any account found to be involved in illegal transactions, such as online gambling, will face permanent blocking.
“Tens of millions of accounts have been opened,” Natsir Kongah, spokesperson for PPATK’s Public Relations Bureau, stated on Thursday, July 31, 2025. He further clarified, “There are more than 28 million accounts that have been opened.”
Natsir explained that the reactivation process is proceeding, and customers with previously blocked accounts can rest assured that their money is safe. “Continue to be done (opening a dormant account) and processes. 100 percent of customers’ money is safe,” he assured.
Online Gambling Transactions Show Decline
Following the blocking of these dormant accounts, PPATK reported a notable decrease in online gambling deposit transactions. PPATK Head Ivan Yustiavandana noted that these deposits plummeted from approximately 5 trillion rupiah to just over 1 trillion rupiah.
“When our dormant accounts were frozen, direct gambling deposits nosedived by more than 70%, from over 5 trillion rupiah down to just over 1 trillion rupiah,” Ivan told reporters on Thursday, July 31, 2025.
Ivan attributed this significant drop to the proactive measures taken by PPATK. “The trend in the number of gambling deposit transactions has also decreased significantly after we froze dormant accounts. These are all positive results,” he said.
He also reiterated that over 28 million accounts had been reopened after their documentation was verified. “We have reopened 28 million accounts whose transactions were temporarily stopped. Tens of millions of accounts were inactive, we stopped the transactions, then we checked the completeness of the documents and the presence of the customer, and after confirming ownership, we immediately lifted the stop,” Ivan explained.
PPATK Safeguards Customer Rights
PPATK detailed its rationale for blocking dormant accounts, citing instances where these accounts became targets for criminal exploitation without the owner’s knowledge. These accounts were used to facilitate funds from criminal acts, engage in account trading, hacking, act as shelters for nominees, and support transactions related to narcotics, corruption, and other illicit activities.
“Funds in dormant accounts are taken over by law, either by the internal bank or other parties, and for dormant accounts where the owner is unknown (customer data has never been reached),” Natsir Kongah told reporters on Thursday, July 31, 2025.
He stressed that blocking these accounts is a measure to protect customers and ensure their money remains safe. “The main goal is to encourage banks and account owners to re-verify and ensure that the account and customer rights/interests are protected and not misused for various crimes,” Natsir stated.
PPATK recommended that all banking sectors tighten their dormant account management, including enhancing Know Your Customer (KYC) policies and implementing comprehensive customer due diligence (CDD).
“If you receive a dormant account notification, immediately contact your bank for the verification process. This is for the security of your data and finances. Unused accounts can be a loophole for crime; let’s protect our accounts and keep Indonesia safe from financial crimes,” Natsir urged.
How to Reactivate a Blocked Account
Customers whose bank accounts were temporarily stopped by PPATK due to dormancy can reactivate them. The reactivation process ensures that customer funds remain secure.
Here are the steps to reactivate a blocked account, according to PPATK:
- Fill out the ‘stop objection temporarily PPATK’ form via the provided link: Bit.ly/formhensem.
- Visit your relevant bank to complete the Customer Due Diligence (CDD)/Profiling process. You will need to submit your ID (KTP), savings passbook, proof of form submission, and any other documents required by the bank.
- PPATK will conduct an inspection by synchronizing your information with the bank’s customer profiling database.
- Once all stages are completed by the customer, the bank will reactivate your account. Customers can regularly check their account status.
