CICC, GCash Warn About Fake Messages

Leading finance super app GCash, together with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), has warned the public about the proliferation of fake social media channels pretending to be GCash. Related to these fake social media pages or groups are followers who will spread phishing links that will cause account takeovers or thefts of their accounts.

These fraudulent accounts are usually gambling or gaming and have names like “GCash88 Media”, “GCash Update”, and other fraudulent names.

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

Ramos also expressed continued support for the safety of the digital ecosystem in the country. "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," he said.

Meanwhile, GCash Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Gilda Maquilan reminded us again that the e-wallet only has one social media page. "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." Maquilan's statement.

To further protect users against online scams, GCash also continues to cooperate with authorities, including the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police-Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG). As a result, it shut down more than four million fraudulent sites, while authorities blocked 810 phishing sites and 45,000 malicious social media posts and accounts in 2023 with the help of GCash.

"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," added Maquilan.

​GCash once again reminds users to never share the MPIN or OTP with anyone and to avoid clicking on unknown websites, emails, and messaging apps.
 
For assistance, the PNP-ACG can be contacted at their hotlines at (02) 8414-1560 and at 0998-598-8116, or by email at [email protected].
 
To report scams and other illegal activities, users can also visit the official GCash Help Center at help.gcash.com or message Gigi and type “I want to report a scam.”
 
You can also call the GCash hotline at 2882 for any questions or concerns. For more information, visit www.gcash.com.ph.

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About GCash

GCash is the Philippines’ #1 Finance Super App. Through the GCash App, users can easily purchase prepaid airtime; pay bills via partner billers nationwide; send and receive money anywhere in the Philippines, even to other bank accounts; purchase from over 6 million partner merchants and social sellers; and get access to savings, credit, loans, insurance and invest money, and so much more, all at the convenience of their smartphones. GCash’s mobile wallet operations are handled by G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mynt, the first and only duacorn in the Philippines which is a part of the country's leading digital solutions platform, Globe Group.
 
GCash is a staunch supporter of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly UN SDGs 5,8,10, and 13, which focus on safety & security, financial inclusion, diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, respectively.