GCash helps gov't arrest fake online seller; blocks over 900K fraud accounts in fight vs. scammers

Financial application GCash on Thursday said it helped in the arrest of a fake online seller and blocked over 900,000 fraud accounts in support of the government’s campaign against online scammers.

GCash said the suspect and the fraud accounts are believed to be behind the “anomalous transactions  consummated” 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 FB online seller who stole the victim’s money after failing to deliver the purchased item,” it said in a statement.

According to GCash, the complainant tried to buy a mobile phone from the suspect who is from Caloocan City.

It said the suspect sent her identification card including her parent’s IDs to gain the victim's trust. The victim sent P4,500 as an initial payment for the mobile phone which never arrived.

The victim then reported to the authorities and an entrapment operation was conducted to arrest the suspect, GCash said.

The victim used the Facebook account of her friend to purchase a mobile phone from the suspect who agreed to a meet-up.

The suspect was caught in an entrapment operation by the Cyber Response Unit and the PNP-ACG, with marked boodle money amounting to P5,000 in Quezon City.

The suspect is facing charges for violating Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 Section 6 of Republic Act No. 10175.

GCash reminded the public to be more vigilant and cautious as online scams continue to rise.

The mobile wallet also advised its customers to check the payment terms of the seller and if possible to transact with those that give the option to pay after the product or service is rendered.

It said that customers must ask the seller for their contact details and demand for an official or acknowledgment receipt for proof of transaction.

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

GCash said it has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and has helped to arrest top online scammers.

The financial application earlier said it has already completed the adjustment of all e-wallets of users affected by the reported unauthorized deductions recently.

It also apologized for the temporary downtime of its system, as it said it extended its scheduled maintenance to investigate and determine that there was no hacking that happened.—Richa Noriega/AOL, GMA Integrated News