Fake Rupiah Information Spreads on Social Media, Undermining Confidence

In Indonesia, a situation is unfolding where false information about the Rupiah currency is spreading on social media, potentially undermining public confidence. Specifically, misinformation regarding the issuance of special banknotes to commemorate the 80th anniversary of independence, new denominations featuring presidential candidates, and methods for detecting counterfeit currency is circulating. Bank Indonesia (BI) has denied these claims and urged caution. One of the recent hoaxes circulating claims that Bank Indonesia is issuing a special Rupiah banknote to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Indonesia's independence. This post includes an image purported to be a banknote featuring a map of Indonesia and the portrait of the first President, Soekarno. This information has been circulating on social media platforms like Facebook since around June 2025, but Bank Indonesia has refuted the existence of such a banknote. Furthermore, information on how to distinguish counterfeit currency has also spread. A Facebook post demonstrated a method to identify genuine 100,000 Rupiah banknotes by attempting to peel them. The poster claimed that genuine banknotes would not separate when peeled, unlike counterfeit ones which would allegedly disintegrate. However, there is no scientific basis to support this method as effective in detecting counterfeits, and Bank Indonesia and experts warn against relying on such simplistic techniques. Additionally, information has circulated on social media suggesting the issuance of a new 18,000 Rupiah banknote in June 2026, featuring the portraits of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and vice-presidential candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, along with images of Monas (National Monument) and the State Palace. This, too, has been confirmed as false information by Bank Indonesia, with no official announcement made. The spread of such misinformation is thought to be driven by low financial literacy among the public and a lack of rigorous information verification on social media. Liputan6.com has been conducting fact-checking and public awareness campaigns through its "Cek Fakta" channel since 2018 and is a member of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN). Educational initiatives to ensure the public has access to accurate financial information and can discern false claims are urgently needed across Indonesian society. Source: Liputan6