Further cementing its long-standing commitment to provide Filipinos secure and safe digital financial services, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center (CICC) has signed an agreement with the country’s number one finance app, GCash, to intensify its campaign against online fraud and scams. Under the agreement, GCash will continue to collaborate with CICC, leverage their capabilities, and synergize efforts in combating cybercrime activities. Both sides aim to improve cyber capabilities and resilience while accelerating digitization initiatives in line with GCash’s vision of “Finance for All.”
A Unified Front Against Cybercrime
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy graced the MOA signing ceremony. He emphasized that the CICC, an agency under the DICT, and GCash will synergize their strengths to become “futurists” who work together to protect Filipinos by preempting the activities of cybercriminals. The partnership between the CICC and GCash, he said, is “a strong signal to the whole community and to cyber criminals that we are not sitting back, that we will be aggressive in securing the money that the public has entrusted to us, and that we will actively, diligently, and relentlessly run after cybercriminals, whoever they may be, and bring them to justice.”
Joining Sec. Uy in signing the agreement were CICC Undersecretary Alexander Ramos, retired Supreme Court Justice Andres Reyes, Jr., GCash Head of New Businesses, Corporate Affairs, and Sustainability Winsley Bangit, GCash Chief Legal Officer Atty. Maria Corazon Alvarez-Adriano, and GCash Legal Head Atty. Gilbert A. Escoto.
How to Report a Scam
In his speech, Usec. Ramos urged victims of online scams to immediately file a report with GCash and the CICC, “not on social media.” Doing so, he said, will mobilize the rapid incident response mechanism made possible by the GCash-CICC partnership, protecting the public in time and preventing scammers from getting more victims. He also urged the public to reach out to the government’s 24/7 anti-scam response hotline in case of suspected scams by dialing 1326.
Through its continuous cooperation with authorities, GCash has blocked over 4 million fraudulent accounts and taken down 810 phishing sites and 45,000 malicious social media posts and accounts in 2023. A strong alliance with government agencies like the CICC, said Bangit, is a big boost to creating a safer digital ecosystem for Filipinos, especially as they transact online. “We are honored to stand shoulder to shoulder with you in the pursuit of a safer and more just society,” he added.
In her closing remarks, Atty. Alvarez-Adriano said that as digital technologies continue to integrate with the support of public sector agencies like the CICC, “GCash is poised for a state-of-the-art, stable, and inclusive financial system that will support the economic growth of the country.”
For more information, please visit www.gcash.com.
