GCash cautions public on “Calamity Assistance” scam exploiting typhoon response initiatives

GCash has issued an urgent alert to all its users regarding an SMS spoofing scam using fraudulent SMS messages that falsely claim that they received “Calamity Assistance” in light of recent typhoons and monsoon rains.

The message prompts recipients to “claim” the aid via embedded links or spoofed QR codes that redirect to malicious sites designed to compromise user accounts.
 
GCash has repeatedly warned the public against a spoofing scam in which scammers impersonate legitimate institutions such as e-wallets, banks, and service providers. The scammers use illegal devices to send messages containing phishing links, pretending to be from “GCash” to deceive users. When the phishing link is clicked, the scammers can obtain sensitive information to gain unauthorized access to users' accounts. GCash will never send any SMS or text message containing links that ask for users' sensitive information, such as personal details, passwords, MPINs, or OTPs.
 
“This scam isn’t just opportunistic—it’s engineered for emotional impact,” GCash chief information security officer, Miguel Geronilla, warned. “By invoking the term ‘Calamity Assistance,’ criminals seek to undermine user caution and exploit their vulnerability during disaster recovery.”

To help Filipinos stay vigilant and protected, GCash also strongly advises users not to click on suspicious links, to never share their MPINs and OTPs with anyone, and to report any scam attempts immediately via the GCash Help Center at https://help.gcash.com or message Gigi on the website and type 'I want to report a scam'. Users may also contact the GCash hotline by dialing 2882.
 
Law enforcement and cybersecurity partners—including the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC)—are actively investigating these incidents, alongside GCash’s internal security team. The company urges users to remain vigilant and to verify any claims through official GCash channels only.

GCash is the Philippines’ #1 Finance Super App and Largest Cashless Ecosystem. 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. Its mobile wallet operations are handled by G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mynt, the first and only $5 billion unicorn in the Philippines.
 
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.