PNP, GCash nab online seller for sextortion

The Philippine National Police (PNP), in close coordination with GCash, has recently arrested a suspect who was using his online selling business to gain access to a victim’s private photos or videos for ‘sextortion’, an act of extorting money by threatening to expose sensitive materials.

The PNP identified the suspect as Ronald Hipol, 54, an online seller from Victoria Homes, Brgy. Tunasan, Muntinlupa. Hipol used a social media account under the name ‘Jerry Kantar’ to threaten the victim that he would circulate her sensitive videos unless she paid him P10,000. Hipol also managed to infiltrate the social media account of the victim’s father-in-law, to whom he sent the same threatening messages.

Unfortunately for the suspect, the victim’s husband is a police officer who immediately coordinated with his fellow law enforcers and GCash to track him down by luring him into receiving his money via e-wallet which led to the hunt down and arrest Hipol.

With millions of users and the end goal of financial inclusion, Gcash prioritizes the online safety of its users. While the country’s No. 1 finance super app continues to cooperate with law enforcement authorities against scammers and fraudsters, it also promotes public awareness of these cybercriminal activities so that users know how to avoid them. GCash is in close coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).

GCash is also urging its users to be extra vigilant of online scammers and fraudsters. When making transactions on the app, users are reminded never to disclose their MPIN or OTP. With the rise in phishing incidents, users are strongly advised never to click links, especially from unknown senders.

For help and assistance, contact the PNP-ACG via their hotlines at (02) 8414-1560, 0998-598-8116, or via email at acg@pnp.gov.ph

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 private messages to ask for personal information, especially the MPIN and One-Time Pin (OTP). Customers can also reach out to the official GCash hotline at 2882 for queries and other concerns.