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On October 7 and 8, 2025, three international schools in Jakarta, Indonesia, were thrown into panic when they all got the same bomb threats via WhatsApp from a Nigerian phone number (+234 code).
The threats said they needed $30,000 in Bitcoin to stop an explosion. The messages went to the Jakarta Nanyang School, the Mentari Intercultural School in South Tangerang, and the North Jakarta Intercultural School (NJIS) in Kelapa Gading.
They said that devices had been installed and would go off in 45 minutes unless a ransom was paid to a certain BTC wallet. Quick police sweeps revealed that the threats were fake and that no bombs were found.
However, the incident shows a worrying surge in digital extortion powered by cryptocurrency, which mixes cybercrime with real-life dread.
As Indonesian police search for the offender known only as “EM,” this case is similar to others across the world where anonymity and irreversibility make Bitcoin a popular tool for scammers. This has raised concerns for both schools and crypto consumers.
The Threats: Same Messages and a Link to Nigeria
The threats came in English through WhatsApp messages sent from an international number that was traced back to Nigeria, which is known for being a hub for cyber fraud groups. The scary message said, “This message is for everyone.” We put a bomb in your school. In 45 minutes, the bomb will go off. “We will blow up the device if you don’t send $30,000 to our Bitcoin address.” According to Asosiasi Aset Kripto Indonesia (AKSI), the wallet address that local exchanges identified was not authentic. No money was sent, and there were no matches on Indonesian platforms.
The first warning went to Jakarta Nanyang School in Pagedangan, Tangerang, on October 7. The second went to Mentari in Bintaro, South Tangerang. The next day, October 8, NJIS in Kelapa Gading was hit. School officials quickly evacuated more than 2,000 pupils from all campuses and called the police, which led to lockdowns and notifications to parents. “The fear was real; parents rushed to get their kids as rumors spread on social media,” a NJIS spokesperson stated.
AKBP Victor Inkiriwang, the chief of police of South Tangerang, stated that the events were planned: “We searched the areas thoroughly and didn’t find any bombs or explosives, thank God.” Kelapa Gading Police Chief Kompol Seto Handoko said the same thing: “The wallet was fake; this was a bluff to scare people.” Early investigations suggest that “EM” may be utilizing a marketing number to send bulk messages, and Interpol is looking into possible international connections.
Quick Police Response: Hoax Confirmed, Look for “EM” Going On
Indonesian officials acted quickly, sending the Metro Jaya Police’s Gegana bomb squad to all sites for three-hour sterilizations. No suspicious devices were found, which calmed anxieties right away, but classes were canceled for days as students got counseling for their trauma. Inkiriwang said, “We put child safety first; evacuations went smoothly even though there was a lot of chaos.”
The investigation, which is now a combined effort by Metro Jaya and South Tangerang, follows the +234 number back to Nigerian fraud groups infamous for “Yahoo Boys” schemes. It also compares the number to similar threats in the Philippines and India. The fake BTC address makes it seem like a low-effort fraud, but the authorities are still looking for EM’s identity by looking for patterns on dark web forums. Handoko said, “No local exchanges saw any activity; this was intimidation, not execution.”
On X, #BomSekolahJakarta was trending with 50,000 posts. Some were angry while some were relieved. Parents wanted better cybersecurity, and schools promised to use WhatsApp verification.
Why do Bitcoin Demands in Hoaxes Happen?
It’s no secret that cybercriminals like Bitcoin: It allows for rapid, untraceable ransoms because it is pseudonymous, irreversible, and borderless. The $30,000 demand, which is roughly Rp497 million, corresponds with “sextortion” or hoax patterns, when threats use terror to get what they want but don’t follow through. In 2024, crypto frauds cost $3.7 billion over the world (Chainalysis). In 2025, they went up 40% because of AI deepfakes.
In Indonesia, where 18 million people hold crypto (Bappebti), these kinds of tricks take advantage of people’s familiarity—victims often do what they are told out of fear. The faulty wallet above is a sign of a bluff, but experts say, “Even fakes erode trust; real ones could drain millions,” according to AKSI’s Naufal Alvira. This could be because of operations in other countries that target wealthy schools, similar to the Yahoo frauds in Nigeria.
More Broadly, Cyber Threats are on The Rise in Indonesia
This incident aligns with the rising tide of cybercrime in Indonesia. In early October, Ditreskrimsus arrested “WFT” (also known as Bjorka) in Minahasa for accessing 4.9 million bank records and selling them on the dark web for cryptocurrency. This was part of a breach that exposed 341,000 police officers. Bjorka’s disclosures, which included 6 million tax records for $10,000 in 2024, show how weak things are; The actual Bjorka made fun of it online, but WFT’s February bank breach through @bjorkanesiaaa led to his capture on September 23.
Schools are facing more and more digital terror: In August, similar scams attacked schools in the Philippines, asking for BTC. Indonesia’s Cyber Law requires reporting, but enforcement is slow—BSSN says there are 1.2 billion attacks every year.
Conclusion
Three Jakarta schools received bomb threats on October 7 and 8, asking for $30,000 in BTC. The threats were cruel lies, and the police quickly established that there were no bombs. However, they show how crypto may be used in cyber extortion. As the search for “EM” heats up, this Nigerian-linked worry adds to Bjorka’s attacks to show how weak Indonesia’s cyber security is. It’s a plea for schools and users to be careful: check out threats, protect wallets, and campaign for global rules against hoaxes. In the shadow economy of crypto, anonymity makes bad things happen, but tools that can track things down, like Chainalysis, can change that.
