The East Kalimantan Ministry of Religious Affairs office has warned the public to be vigilant against unclearly licensed quick Hajj and Umrah offers. The alert follows frequent scams costing pilgrims billions of rupiah. Acting Head of the East Kalimantan Kemenag Office, Mukhlis Hasan, stressed thorough verification before payments.
In Samarinda on Monday (13/4/2026), Mukhlis Hasan stated the warning was issued due to rampant scams in East Kalimantan. "Imbauan ini kami sampaikan, menyusul maraknya kasus penipuan yang merugikan jemaah hingga miliaran rupiah di wilayah Kaltim," he said.
He advised the public to check thoroughly. "Jangan mudah tergiur iming-iming keberangkatan instan tanpa prosedur resmi. Pastikan konfirmasi ke Kantor Kemenag di tingkat kabupaten maupun provinsi sebelum bertransaksi," Mukhlis emphasized.
Quick departure promises are often just scam tactics, he noted, while high prices do not guarantee safety and suspiciously low prices should raise alarms. The key is the track record of organizers with official licenses as Penyelenggara Perjalanan Ibadah Umrah (PPIU) or Penyelenggara Ibadah Haji Khusus (PIHK) registered in the Pusaka Kemenag app.
Mukhlis assured that the 2026 Hajj embarkation process remains on schedule with no official delay information. He urged prospective pilgrims to stay calm, maintain physical health, and rely only on government information.
