February 5, 2026 | 03:02 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Accounts on TikTok [archive] and Facebook have been spreading posts urging people to withdraw cash due to claims that the electricity grid and ATMs will be down from February 20 to 27, 2026.
The circulating posts quote a statement by former Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Dharma Pongrekun. “The entire power grid will be shut down for seven days, rendering ATMs inoperable. The people must be vigilant and remember to withdraw money from banks,” Dharma said in the video.
But is it true that Indonesians must withdraw money from the banks because power grids nationwide will be shut down from February 20 to 27, 2026?
FACT CHECK
Tempo's Fact Check team verified this claim by interviewing an expert and citing other credible sources. The results show that there have been no appeals to withdraw cash from the banks. There is also no credible evidence backing the claim that the power grid will be shut down for a week.
Is it true that people are advised to withdraw cash from the banks?
Executive Director of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF) Esther Sri Astuti denied the existence of the appeal for mass cash withdrawals due to power outages and ATM failures. According to her, this was a recurring narrative, including during the series of protests in August last year.
Esther warned that mass withdrawals could trigger a financial crisis similar to that of 1997. She urged the necessity to dispel such rumors in order to prevent a bank run that could have fatal consequences for the national economy.
“A financial crisis like the one in 1997 will occur if the public engages in a bank run,” Esther told Tempo on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
To secure investments, Esther advised Indonesians to diversify their savings across various instruments such as savings accounts, deposits, gold, stocks, and mutual funds. She warns the public not to put all their assets in one portfolio in order to minimize risk.
The Origin of Nationwide Power Outage Claims
The nationwide power outage claim began with a controversial statement by Dharma Pongrekun in a podcast broadcast on January 14, 2026. He alleged the global elite movement behind internet and power outages in Iran, and Indonesia would become the next target. The video recording was widely circulated on various social media platforms.
Dharma urged citizens to prepare emergency supplies in anticipation of power outages, ATM failures, cooling system malfunctions, and clean water shortages.
However, Tempo's fact-checking revealed that the Iranian government deliberately cut off all internet and communication access on January 8, 2026, to quell protests across 31 provinces against the economic crisis. This was purely an internal Iranian policy, not the result of a global elite conspiracy. This blackout was the most extreme in Iran's history, cutting off services to 92 million citizens.
A report by Filter Watch from the Access Now group and the #KeepItOn coalition revealed that Iranian authorities began throttling internet speeds by up to 35 percent starting on December 29, 2025. They also blocked censorship circumvention tools in protest areas to silence communication.
These partial restrictions culminated in a total national blackout on the night of January 8, 2026, just as violence against protesters escalated.
Three years ago, Dharma shared a similar narrative about global elites controlling the power grid on the Akbar Faizal Uncensored podcast. He is also known for making frequent misleading claims, including calling Covid-19 a global elite agenda.
CONCLUSION
Tempo's verification concluded that the claim that the electricity and ATMs would fail for a week starting February 20, 2026, is false.
TEMPO FACT-CHECK TEAM
**Do you have information or claims that you want to have fact-checked? Contact our ChatBot. You can also send criticism, objections, or feedback for this Fact-Checking article via email to [email protected].
Fact Check: Is It Safe to Shower at Night?
22 jam lalu
Fact check - Taking a shower at later hours does not carry particular health risks.
Fact Check: Iran's President Not Killed in Israeli Bombing
2 hari lalu
Fact Check - Iranian President Masoud is reportedly still active as of February 2, 2026.
Fact Check: Claim That Roasted Cloves Cure Cavities Is Misleading
3 hari lalu
Fact check - Direct use of cloves as recommended in the video is unsafe and inappropriate for treating cavities.
Fact Check: Are Chicken Feet and Skin Unsafe to Eat?
4 hari lalu
Fact check - All chicken parts mentioned in the circulating content are safe for consumption.
Fact Check: No Chemtrails Behind Indonesia's Weather Modification Activities
4 hari lalu
Fact check - Weather modification activities are not used to spread harmful chemicals, known as chemtrails.
Fact Check: Claim That U.S. Wants to Remove Halal Certification in Indonesia Is Misleading
5 hari lalu
Claims on social media that the U.S. seeks to eliminate Indonesia's halal certification are misleading; the U.S. merely noted regulatory complexities.
Fact Check: Will Earth Lose Gravity for 7 Seconds on August 12, 2026?
6 hari lalu
Fact Check - NASA has denied that the Earth will lose gravity for seven seconds on August 12, 2026.
Fact Check: No UK Troops Deployed to Support Iran
8 hari lalu
Fact check - The circulating content used photos from the British King's official visit to falsify the narrative of military involvement in Iran.
Fact Check: Claim That 20,000 Indonesian Troops Forced US to Cancel Iran Strike Is False
9 hari lalu
A video on Facebook and YouTube claims the US canceled its 2026 Iran attack due to 20,000 Indonesian troops in the Middle East.
Fact Check: Claim of European Warship Convoy to Defend Greenland From US Attack Is False
9 hari lalu
Fact Check - The circulating content is the result of AI manipulation of photos from Russian defense equipment parades.
