Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Google has introduced Enhanced Fraud Protection, a new security feature integrated with Google Play Protect, aimed at preventing online fraud in Indonesia.
The feature was officially announced at the 2025 Safer Internet Day event held at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs in Jakarta on Tuesday (February 18, 2025).
Google Indonesia’s Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Putri Alam stated that Enhanced Fraud Protection is designed to reduce the risks associated with installing apps from outside the Google Play Store.
“This additional layer of protection has shown positive results. We are proud to extend this security to Indonesian users,” Putri said, as reported by Antara on Tuesday.
Having been launched globally, Enhanced Fraud Protection is now officially available in Indonesia as of February 2025.
Enhanced Fraud Protection
According to Google’s official website, Enhanced Fraud Protection is part of Google Play Protect, an Android-based security system that scans and monitors apps for potential threats.
One of the key risks in online fraud is sideloading, a process where users install applications from third-party sources outside Google Play. Cybercriminals often exploit this by tricking victims into downloading fraudulent apps through search engines, websites, messaging apps, or file managers.
Once installed, these rogue applications can compromise users’ financial accounts and cause financial losses. To counter this, Google Play Protect automatically scans every app on a device to detect malware and other harmful software.
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With Enhanced Fraud Protection, the system will now go a step further by blocking suspicious apps downloaded from non-Google Play sources, especially those requesting One-Time Password (OTP) access via SMS or attempting to screen record and spy on users’ content.
By default, Google Play Protect is enabled on all Android devices but can be manually turned off.
How to Enable Google Play Protect
To ensure security, users can check and activate Google Play Protect by following these steps:
- Open the Google Play Store app.
- Tap the profile icon in the top right corner.
- Select Play Protect, then tap Settings.
- Toggle Scan apps with Play Protect on or off.
Google Play Protect will then scan installed apps regularly and send notifications if it detects any security threats.
With the launch of Enhanced Fraud Protection, Google aims to strengthen online security for Indonesian users by reducing the risks of fraudulent app installations. As cyber threats continue to evolve, adopting proactive security measures like Google Play Protect is crucial in safeguarding personal data and financial information.
(Raidi/Agung)
