DIGITAL FRAUD PREVENTION EDUCATION FOR MSMES IN ONLINE TRADING ACTIVITIES IN BATAM CITY

Abstract

The development of online commerce provides opportunities for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to expand their markets, increase sales, and reach consumers without geographical boundaries. However, the increase in digital commerce activity is also accompanied by various risks of digital fraud, such as phishing, payment manipulation, fake accounts, malicious links, and data theft. MSMEs play a crucial role in the digital commerce ecosystem because they not only act as sellers but also as managers of accounts, customer data, transaction communications, and payments. This Community Service (PkM) activity aims to increase the knowledge and awareness of MSMEs in Batam City in recognizing and preventing digital fraud in online commerce activities. The activity was carried out through lectures, discussions, and simulations of digital fraud cases involving 30 MSMEs. Evaluation was carried out using pre-test and post-test questionnaires consisting of 20 multiple-choice questions. The results showed an increase in participants' knowledge after being provided with education. The average score increased from 58.4 ± 12.6 in the pre-test to 84.7 ± 9.3 in the post-test, or an increase of 26.3 points. The proportion of participants with good knowledge increased from 13.3% to 63.3%, while the proportion with poor knowledge decreased from 46.7% to 6.7%. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank test showed p < 0.001, indicating a statistically significant increase in knowledge after the education. Satisfaction evaluation also showed a positive response with an average score of 4.0–4.7. This activity demonstrates that education combined with discussions and case simulations can be an effective strategy to improve digital fraud prevention literacy for MSMEs.