6 Tourist Scams in Jakarta

You exit your hotel in central Jakarta and hail what appears to be a Blue Bird taxi — Indonesia's most reputable taxi company, known for always using meters and employing professional drivers. The car is the right shade of blue with what looks like the bird logo. You get in, and the driver says the meter is broken but offers a fixed price. After a ride through confusing one-way streets with multiple twists and turns, you arrive at your destination and the driver demands 300,000 IDR for a trip that should have cost 130,000 IDR. TripAdvisor's Jakarta forum has multiple threads about Blue Bird taxi scams, including one titled 'BLUE BIRD taxi SCAM' where a traveler reported being charged 300,000 IDR for what should have been a 130,000 IDR metered fare. Another account described experiencing multiple twists and turns during a ride that made them rotate their map trying to get their bearings — when they got out, they realized the logo on the blue car was not the real Blue Bird but a convincing imitation. Jakarta Globe reported on how scammers paint cars the exact same shade of blue and add fake bird logos, and that fake taxis are found across Jakarta, Bali, Bandung, Lombok, and other major cities. A real Blue Bird taxi has the 'Bluebird' URL on the windshield, a specific ID number on the door, and the driver wears a blue batik uniform.

You spot a money changer on a busy Jakarta street advertising an exchange rate of 16,500 IDR per US dollar — noticeably better than the 15,800 rate at the bank. You hand over $100 and watch the teller count out 1,650,000 IDR in front of you. The amount looks correct. He then gathers the notes together to put them in an envelope, and in that moment, his hands drop several bills behind the desk or counter screen. He hands you the envelope with a friendly smile. You count it at your hotel and find only 1,200,000 IDR. Coconuts Bali published a viral article featuring a magician who demonstrated exactly how money exchange scammers use sleight of hand to con tourists, showing that bills are dropped behind the desk during the re-stacking motion. TripGuru365's Indonesia scam guide confirms this is one of the most common tourist scams across Jakarta and Indonesia: the teller fans out the bills to show you the correct amount, then snatches several during the recount. The Bali Sun warns that the too-good-to-be-true exchange rates are the first red flag — while authorized changers offer about 15,800 IDR per dollar, fraudulent ones advertise rates like 16,500 to lure customers in. GoDigit's Indonesia scam report calls this a 'common scam' and advises exchanging at banks for accurate returns.

You book a Gojek ride from your hotel in central Jakarta. A motorcycle pulls up, the driver confirms your name, and you hop on. Five minutes into the ride, the driver stops and says there is a problem with the app and he needs to cancel the booking. He then offers to complete the ride for cash — at a price two to three times the app fare. If you refuse, you are stranded in an unfamiliar area of Jakarta. Some traditional ojek drivers use a different tactic: they wait outside tourist hotels and quote fixed prices that are five to ten times the app rate, and when you try to book Grab or Gojek, they tell you the apps do not work in this area. The South China Morning Post investigated ride-sharing fraud in Indonesia and reported that four Jakarta drivers were arrested for manipulating the Gojek platform, each using up to 30 fake accounts to generate income. A 2019 survey estimated that 30 percent of Gojek total orders and 5 percent of Grab orders in Indonesia were fake. TripAdvisor's Bali and Java forums include reports from travelers encountering conventional ojek drivers who have put up banners reading 'Gojek and Grab are prohibited from entering this territory' and even violently attacked drivers in Gojek uniforms. Quora's Jakarta scam thread describes persistent traditional ojek drivers at bus stations claiming there are no buses to your destination as a ploy to force inflated taxi fares.

You are taking photos near Monas when a friendly young person approaches, says they are an art student, and strikes up a conversation about your country. After pleasant small talk, they invite you to see their art exhibition or batik gallery just around the corner — free of charge. The gallery turns out to be a high-pressure sales room where paintings or batik fabrics are displayed with enormous price tags. The 'student' becomes the salesperson, and other staff members join in. A painting that would sell for 200,000 IDR at a local market is priced at 2,000,000 IDR or more. Bounding Over Our Steps, a travel blog documenting scams across Java, describes this exact pattern: someone befriends you near a tourist site and leads you to an overpriced gallery or shop. The approach always begins with genuine-seeming small talk about your nationality before pivoting to the sales pitch. GoDigit's Indonesia scam guide warns about vendors who fail to mention prices upfront and then demand inflated amounts. World Nomads' Indonesia safety page notes that tourists should be cautious of overly friendly strangers near major attractions, as these interactions often lead to high-pressure shopping situations.

You board a KRL commuter train during rush hour to travel from Kota Tua to your hotel. The train is packed — standing room only with bodies pressed together. A group of people pushes onto the carriage, creating a surge of movement. In the confusion of bodies shifting, a hand reaches into your pocket or unzips your bag. You do not feel a thing. When you reach your stop and check for your phone, it is gone. GoDigit's comprehensive guide to tourist scams in Indonesia identifies pickpocketing as a major concern in crowded areas, noting that busy market areas and public transport are the primary target zones. World Nomads' Indonesia safety page specifically warns about pickpockets and bag snatchers on crowded public transport, with busy commuter trains being key risk areas. The scam is not sophisticated — it relies purely on crowd density and distraction. Some pickpockets work in teams: one person creates a distraction (dropping something, bumping into you, asking a question in Indonesian) while another works your pockets. Rush hour on the KRL lines serving central Jakarta, roughly 7-9 AM and 5-7 PM, presents the highest risk.

You hail a regular (non-Blue Bird) taxi from a shopping mall and ask to go to your hotel near Thamrin. The driver starts the meter and pulls into traffic. Jakarta's legendary gridlock gives him the perfect cover — the route should take 20 minutes but he weaves through side streets, claiming he knows a shortcut to avoid the jam. An hour later, you arrive at your hotel with a meter reading of 200,000 IDR for a trip that should have cost 60,000 IDR. When you question the amount, the driver points at the meter and shrugs. Jakarta Globe's investigation into tourist taxi scams explains how drivers deliberately take longer routes to inflate meter fares, particularly during heavy traffic when tourists cannot easily distinguish between a legitimate detour and an intentional one. The GoDigit scam guide warns that some drivers refuse to use the meter altogether, offering fixed prices that are much higher than normal. Ela Aleph Cruising's Indonesia guide confirms that counterfeit taxis scam tourists by charging much higher prices or not using the meter, with some taxi companies being particularly notorious. The introduction of ride-hailing apps has reduced but not eliminated this scam, as many tourists still hail conventional taxis from hotel ranks and street corners.