PNP, GCash Strengthen Fight Against Cyber Fraud

The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) and GCash have intensified their collaboration to safeguard local communities and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from cyber fraud.

At a strategic meeting held at the W Global Center in Taguig City, PNP-ACG acting director PBGen. Ronnie Francis Cariaga emphasized the need for both the government and private sector to enhance cybercrime strategies, especially at the grassroots level.

“Our partnership with digital financial institutions like GCash has become a necessity now that almost all transactions are done digitally, to the point that even sari-sari stores can be paid via e-wallets. It is therefore our responsibility as the PNP and LGUs to stay updated and prepared for any cyber threats,” Cariaga said.

GCash’s chief information and security officer, Miguel Geronilla, highlighted the app’s best practices in cybersecurity and trust technology as integral to its services.

“A huge part of our pursuit in GCash is not only to strengthen security measures in the app but also to make sure that cybercriminals are punished while constantly reminding the public how to safeguard their e-wallet accounts,” Geronilla said.

As the leading digital financial ecosystem in the country, GCash ensures compliance with regulatory requirements and employs world-class security features to protect users against scams. GCash Chief Legal Officer Atty. Maricor Alvarez-Adriano reiterated the app’s commitment to working with the government to combat cybercrime.

“We continue to be an active partner of the government in going after cybercriminals and scammers to ensure Filipinos have easy access to safe, secure, and convenient digital financial products and services,” Adriano said.

The ongoing collaboration between GCash and authorities has led to the successful deactivation of 5.6 million accounts linked to suspicious activities and the rejection of 2.2 million account takeover attempts.

Additionally, GCash and its partners have taken down 1,900 phishing websites and 51,800 malicious social media posts.