PNP, GCash arrest online task scammer

The Philippine National Police arrests a suspect behind an online work scam following a successful collaboration with the country’s leading finance app GCash. The scam involves luring a victim to accept online tasks requiring investing money to earn a commission.

The suspect was identified as 21-year-old female Danica Dela Cruz Valdez, a resident of Balayong, Malolos City, Bulacan. Valdez had initially paid the victim for the first milestone to gain trust. With the succeeding tasks, Valdez then required the victim to complete the entire project first before the commission could be given, for which the suspect required more investment money. The victim agreed and sent payment to the suspect's bank accounts. Later, Valdez introduced additional problems involving a crypto account that coerced her victim to send an additional payment, banking on the victim's desire to get paid once and for all. In the end, the scammer collected P314,080 from the unsuspecting victim.

As part of its ongoing initiative to educate the public on how they protect themselves from scams and other financial cyber crimes, GCash continues to remind its users to practice extra vigilance and awareness of the various modes of scams.

"Having millions of users and with the end goal of financial inclusion, online safety tops the priorities of GCash. We remain steadfast in our dedication to ensuring the security and protection of our users. We shall remain faithful to our collaborative efforts with the Philippine National Police in swiftly addressing any scams, fraud, and cybercrime," said GCash mobile wallet operator G-Xchange, Inc. head of legal Atty. Gilbert Escoto.

While intensifying its cooperation with law enforcement authorities, GCash also urges 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 One-time PIN (OTP). With the rise in phishing incidents, users are strongly advised to never 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 email at acg@pnp.gov.ph

To report scams and fraudulent activities, visit the official GCash Help Center in the app or at help.gcash.com, message Gigi, and type, “I want to report a scam.” GCash will never send private messages to ask for personal information, especially the MPIN and OTP. Customers can also contact the official GCash hotline at 2882 for queries and other concerns.

For more information, visit www.gcash.com.