GCash on guard vs phishing sites

MANILA, Philippines — Mobile wallet GCash is continuously working with authorities to take down phishing sites to protect its users from scams.

Recently taken down was a phishing website (ramropost.com) which emerged last month.

Phishing sites are used to trick customers to think that they are on a legitimate site.

“We are constantly monitoring for these types of sites and we act immediately to take down the sites in coordination with law enforcement agencies,” a GCash representative said.

GCash said it has dedicated teams monitoring activities online, including social media, regarding scams.

It is also working actively with law enforcement, such as the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group and NBI’s Cybercrime Division to help victims report and apprehend scammers.

GCash urged users to only do actions via the app as some scammers use similar-looking phishing sites to trick users into giving their information.

“When asked to verify or log-in, only do it with the GCash app,” the mobile wallet giant said.

GCash said users should also never share Mobile Banking Personal Identification Number (MPIN) or One-Time PIN (OTP) as scammers often pose as a GCash representative or a friend to trick them into giving their OTP.

“Remember that your MPIN and OTP are only for you,” GCash said.

For all concerns, GCash also said customers should go to its Help Center.

“Do not post your inquiries in social media and GCash will never personally message you to address concerns,” it said.

GCash is the country’s largest e-wallet with over 51 million registered users.

It earlier said scams going around the local finance industry have become very creative, coming in different forms and call-to-actions, but these are all just phishing.

Late last year, a new scam also surfaced involving GCash where victims gets a fake GCash loyalty award that requires the victim to click on claim reward, but in reality triggers a cash transfer to the scammer.

Given the creativity of fraud activities these days, GCash has been seeking to instill in its customers the practice of never sharing their details through continuous and consistent product education.