In its continued commitment to protecting Filipinos from fraudsters and scammers, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Quezon City District Anti-Cybercrime Team (QCDACT), in cooperation with the country’s leading mobile wallet GCash, successfully arrested a fake police officer while soliciting financial assistance for their “team building” activities. The suspect, who used the name “Arnold Santos,” was arrested while attempting to withdraw the money through a GCash remittance outlet.
The suspect was identified as Allan Roque Castillano, Jr.,47, a former vendor inside the PNP’s Camp Bagong Diwa, and a resident of Gapan, Nueva Ecija, and his accomplice Editha de Jesus Candelaria, 48, a resident of San Fernando, Pampanga, was taken into custody. Before the entrapment operation, a police officer received an SMS from Castillano (a.k.a. Santos), who introduced himself as a Non-Uniformed Personnel of the Office of the Regional Diretor PNP-NCRPO and asked for donations for their team building. Castillano was subsequently arrested with the assistance of GCash.
As the largest mobile wallet in the country, GCash plays its part in protecting its users against scammers and fraudsters through its close coordination with the authorities. With a user base of 79 million, representing 83% of Filipinos, GCash has been proactive in combating cybercrime by collaborating with various law enforcement units, including the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the anti-cybercrime units of the PNP. Through this partnership, GCash aims to create a safe online environment for all users.
“As our user base grows, we consider it our responsibility to ensure the safety of everyone,” says GCash president and CEO Martha Sazon.
GCash continues to urge its users to exercise extra caution when transacting on the platform, never revealing their MPIN or OTP, and refraining from clicking on links that lead to external websites or senders they are unfamiliar with. For help and assistance, users can contact the PNP-ACG via their hotlines at (02) 8414-1560 or 0998-598-8116, or via email at [email protected].
To report scams and fraudulent activities, users can visit the official GCash Help Center at help.gcash.com 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 contact the official GCash hotline at 2882 for queries and other concerns.