Scammers moving to Messenger and Viber, targets GCash users

Scammers are moving to Messenger and Viber to target GCash users.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has issued a warning. After reports of netizens receiving fraudulent messages and emails from these platforms arose, readers are advised to be cautious.

Messages are made to believe to come from GCash, claiming that a user’s account is ‘under review’. The sender then urges the recipient to ‘verify their account’ to keep accessing GCash services.

The message reads: “Good day from GCash, we would like to inform you that your account is under review, we request you to verify your account to continually access our eWallet services.” This is followed by a suspicious link, where recipients are instructed to enter personal and account details.

“We always advise the public to avoid clicking any links from unknown or suspicious senders,” said Alexander K. Ramos, CICC Executive Director.

This shift in cybercrime operation comes as a response to the implementation of the SIM Registration Act in December 2022. After more than a year in effect, this has significantly reduced the number of fraudulent text messages.

“Scammers are bypassing our SMS systems by using emails as senders or via social media like Viber and FB Messenger,” added Ramos.

GCash has also moved towards preventing online fraud, blocking four million accounts just last year. The company has also taken down over 800 phishing sites and 45,000 malicious social media posts.

With millions of Filipinos being GCash users, staying alert against online scams remains necessary. If you suspect that you’re being targeted by scammers, do not click on any suspicious links and report the incident immediately.

You can do this by calling the Inter-Agency Response Center’s (IARC) hotline at 1326. As a reminder, GCash will never request for your personal information through unsolicited emails or social media messages.