Peran Trust Memediasi Pengaruh Dark social Terhadap Niat Beli Investasi Emas Digital (m-banking)

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the role of trust in mediating the influence of dark social on the purchase intention of digital gold investment through m-banking applications, specifically BRImo, among Generation Z in Denpasar, Bali. The background of this study is the increasing use of digital financial services, including digital gold investment, which is influenced by private social interactions or dark social that are difficult to monitor conventionally. This study uses a quantitative approach with the Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) method. The research sample consisted of 130 respondents selected by purposive sampling, based on the criteria of digital activity and m-banking use. Data were collected through a questionnaire with a Likert scale of 1–5, then analyzed using validity and reliability tests, as well as inner and outer model analysis to examine the causal relationship between variables and mediation effects. The results showed that dark social had no significant effect on purchase intention, and although it had a positive coefficient on trust, this relationship was also not statistically significant. Conversely, trust was proven to have a positive and significant effect on purchase intention, confirming the key role of trust in digital investment decision-making. The mediation test showed that trust could not mediate the influence of dark social on purchase intention, because dark social failed to significantly shape trust. These findings indicate that the intensity of private communication through dark social media is not sufficient to drive purchase intention for digital gold investments without a strong trust-building mechanism. This research provides practical implications for mobile banking service providers and fintech platforms in designing communication strategies that can increase consumer confidence and highlight the importance of trust as a key factor in digital investment decisions.