Online scam suspect falls, fraudulent accounts blocked as GCash teams up with gov't

MANILA, Philippines — A “bogus” online seller was nabbed by authorities while over 900,000 accounts believed to be involved in fraud have been blocked recently by one of the country’s major mobile wallet firms.

GCash said it has stepped up its support to the government's campaign against online scammers, partnering with the National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine National Police in helping take down the scammer and block the suspected fraudulent accounts.

The mobile wallet company added that it has also inked a memorandum of agreement with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) of the Department of Information and Communications Technology. 
 
The suspect and the “fishy” accounts are believed to be behind anomalous transactions consummated by the suspects with their victims on social media and digital storefronts.

Thanks to its collaboration with the Cyber Response Unit and the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), GCash again aided top law enforcement authorities in tracking down and arresting a fake online seller, who stole the victim’s money after failing to deliver the purchased item.

The complainant said she tried to buy an iPhone from the suspect, Rachelle Luzon, 21, from Caloocan City. 

The suspect sent her identification card, including her parent’s IDs to gain the victim's trust. 

Convinced that the suspect was a legitimate online seller, the victim sent P4,500 as an initial payment for the iPhone, which never arrived.

The victim reported the incident to the authorities and informed the investigators that, to entrap the suspect, she used the Facebook account of her friend to purchase an iPhone from the suspect who agreed to a meet-up.

The suspect was caught in the entrapment operation by the Cyber Response Unit and the PNP-ACG, with marked boodle money amounting to P5,000 inside a fast food restaurant in at a mall in Novaliches, Quezon City.

Luzon is facing charges for violating Article 315 or (swindling/estafa) of the Revised Penal Code in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 Sec. 6 of R.A. 10175.

GCash also continues to urge and remind Filipinos be more vigilant and cautions as online scams continue to increase.

The company reminded customers to always check the payment terms of the seller, and when possible, transact with those that give the option to pay after the product or service is rendered.

For added security and safety, GCash tell customers to always ask the seller for their contact details and demand for an official or acknowledgment receipt for proof of transaction.

For help and assistance, contact the PNP-ACG via their hotlines at (02) 8414-1560, 0998-598-8116, or via email at [email protected].

To report scams and fraudulent activities, visit the official GCash Help Center at help.gcash.com/hc/en-us or message Gigi on the website and type, “I want to report a scam.” 

GCash will never send users personal messages to address concerns or get personal information, especially the MPIN and One-time Pin. Customers can also reach out to the official GCash hotline 2882 for queries and other concerns.