CICC, GCash warn public against fake messages

The country’s leading finance app, GCash, in partnership with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), is warning users against channels on popular social media platforms claiming to be affiliated with the app. These pages or groups would usually post suspicious links through fake profiles that engage as followers to secure personal information that they use to scam others, often resulting in account takeover or loss of hard-earned money.

Many of these fraudulent accounts promote gambling or gaming opportunities with suspicious names like “GCash88 Media”, “GCash Update,” and other deceptive names that make them seem like they are affiliated with GCash.

“We always advise the public to avoid clicking any links from unknown or suspicious senders,” CICC executive Director Alexander K. Ramos said. “Scammers used to send such links through SMS, but now they have found another platform.”

Advising its users to be more vigilant when transacting online, GCash vice president and head of corporate communications Gilda Maquilan also reiterated, “GCash’s official pages are @gcashofficial, which is where we come out with our promos, and @wearegcash, the official corporate page of GCash, nothing else.” We believe that social media platforms are still the best means to engage our users. However, we strongly warn our users that any other profile or username is fraudulent and should be avoided.”

To further protect users against online scams, GCash also continues to work closely with law enforcement authorities, including the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine National Police-Anti Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), resulting in the blocking of over four million fraudulent accounts, and the taking down of 810 phishing sites and 45,000 malicious social media posts and accounts as of 2023. “We will continue to work closely with our partners from law enforcement agencies, including the PNP, NBI, CICC, and others, in tracking down scammers behind these deceptive online channels and ensuring they are pursued by the authorities,” adds Maquilan.

Meanwhile, CICC Executive Director Alexander Ramos has expressed his support for keeping the country’s digital ecosystem safe and secure. “Our combined resources with our fellow law enforcement agencies have already traced many suspects behind these social media pages and arrested them in law enforcement operations. Let this be a stern warning to other cybercriminals out there, you will be pursued, you will be found, and you will be apprehended,” said Ramos.

In light of the discovered modus, GCash firmly reminds users to never disclose their MPIN or OTP and to avoid clicking on unknown links from websites, emails, messaging apps, and social media channels.

“At GCash, trust and security are our top priorities. From the moment you download the GCash app, our security technology is at work to protect your account. We continuously invest in and innovate our systems to ensure the safety and security of GCash accounts throughout the customer journey. While these security features are in place, we also constantly remind our customers that they play a crucial role as the first and strongest line of defense in safeguarding their accounts,” concluded Maquilan.

To report scams and fraudulent activities, visit the official GCash Help Center at help.gcash.com or message Gigi on the website with the phrase “I want to report a scam.” Customers can also contact the official GCash hotline at 2882 for inquiries and other concerns.

For immediate assistance, users are encouraged to reach out to the PNP-ACG through their hotlines at (02) 8414-1560 or 0998-598-8116 or via email at acg@pnp.gov.ph. For more information, visit https://www.gcash.com