Fact Check: Is Indonesia's Finance Minister Purbaya Giving Away Rp250 Million Grants?
Tempo's fact-checking team has debunked viral videos on Facebook that falsely claim Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa is distributing large cash grants. The videos were created using deepfake technology to scam users into providing personal information via WhatsApp.
Why it matters
The rise of AI-generated misinformation targeting government officials poses a significant threat to public digital security and financial safety.
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A number of Facebook accounts are circulating a video of Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa distributing grant funds for July 2026. The grant funds amount to Rp250 million, which will be disbursed in just one day.Tempo's Fact-Checking Team identified four variants of the video depicting Purbaya announcing the grant funds: Content 1, Content 2, Content 3, and Content 4. Netizens interested in receiving assistance can simply register via the listed WhatsApp number or use the comments section. "Register today, disbursement today," Purbaya says in the video.Is it true that Finance Minister Purbaya is opening registration for the July 2026 grant funds?FACT CHECKTempo verified the content by checking the listed WhatsApp numbers one by one, using a reverse image search tool, a fake-fake detection tool, and interviewing digital security experts.
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