GCash and CICC Warn About Fake Social Media Channels

 Leading finance super app GCash, in partnership with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), has issued a warning about the proliferation of fake social media channels impersonating GCash. These fraudulent pages and groups are spreading phishing links, which can lead to account takeovers or theft.

Commonly, these deceptive accounts are related to gambling or gaming and use misleading names such as “GCash88 Media,” “GCash Update,” and other deceptive titles.

CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos advises, “We always recommend that the public avoid clicking on any links from unknown or suspicious sources.” He added, “Scammers used to send these links via SMS, but they have now shifted to other platforms.”

Ramos also emphasized ongoing support for the country's digital safety. “Our combined efforts with other law enforcement agencies have already led to the identification and arrest of many suspects behind these social media pages. This should serve as a stern warning to other cybercriminals: you will be tracked down, found, and apprehended.”

GCash Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Gilda Maquilan also reiterated that GCash only operates two official social media pages: @gcashofficial, where promotions are posted, and @wearegcash, the official corporate page. “We believe social media remains the best way to engage with our users. However, we strongly warn users to avoid any other profiles or usernames claiming to be GCash,” Maquilan said.

To protect users from online scams, GCash continues to collaborate with authorities including the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police-Anti Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG). As a result, over four million fraudulent accounts have been shut down, and 810 phishing sites along with 45,000 malicious posts and accounts were blocked in 2023 with GCash's assistance.

Maquilan added, “We will continue to work closely with our partners from law enforcement agencies, including the PNP, NBI, CICC, and others, to track down scammers behind these deceptive online channels and ensure they are pursued by the authorities.”

GCash reminds users never to share their MPIN or OTP with anyone and to avoid clicking on unknown websites, emails, and messaging apps. For assistance, users can contact the PNP-ACG hotlines at (02) 8414-1560 or 0998-598-8116, or email acg@pnp.gov.ph. To report scams and other illegal activities, visit the official GCash Help Center at help.gcash.com, message Gigi with “I want to report a scam,” or call GCash hotline 2882 for inquiries and concerns.

For more information, visit www.gcash.com.ph.