TIPS ON HOW TO KEEP YOUR GCASH ACCOUNT SAFE

Aside from wearing a face mask and proper hand washing, going cashless is a must for your safety. Officials of World Health Organization (WHO) have warned the public about the possibility that coronavirus can be spread through handling money.

Since the virus is droplet based and can stick to surfaces for several days, bank notes and coins might be virus carriers. Hence, they urge people to use credit cards or electronic payments instead.

GCash, the number one mobile wallet in the Philippines, has reported a significant increase in new users for the past three months, which means more and more people are going cashless.

Now that you’ve gone cashless, let’s talk about account security. This is something we all have to take seriously since there scammers out there waiting on people who would fall victim to their MOs.

Just recently, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) with the help of GCash, arrested three individuals in Quezon City for violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act and Estafa, after they swindled money from hapless victims, whose identities were also stolen. Law enforcers nabbed suspects Joselito Floresca, Antonino Guevarra, and Henry Lachica for stealing money from a number of individuals. The three suspects pretended to be GCash, Grab, Lalamove, or Mr. Speedy employees. They convinced their victims that their accounts were compromised and pretended to assist them in fixing their accounts.

GCash helped by conducting their own investigation then submitting it to NBI.
Here are 6 ways to keep your GCash account safe:

NEVER GIVE OUT YOUR MPIN.
I cannot stress this one enough. Never, EVER, share your MPIN to anyone. It’s like letting a burglar in through the front door of your house. GCash will also never ask for your MPIN during support requests. Any person claiming they represent GCash shouldn’t be asking for your MPIN or an OTP.

NEVER CLICK ANY LINKS FROM SUSPICIOUS E-MAILS OR TEXT MESSAGES.
There are SMS or Emails pretending to be GCash, like the common modus on credit card issuers. The main goal of such scams is to get your personal information. Never click on any suspicious links from unknown sources. It’s best to always check the email sender, too.

NEVER PURCHASE GCASH MASTERCARDS FROM UNTRUSTED SELLERS / UNAUTHORIZED SITES.
There are several complaints about fake GCash Mastercards purchased from unauthorized sellers/sites. The best way to purchase a GCash Mastercard is through the GCash app. On Pay Bills, click on Payment Solutions, then GCash Mastercard. The card costs P150 and delivery takes 5-15 business days.

FOLLOW AND CHECK ONLY THE OFFICIAL SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS OF GCASH.
To be sure you are getting accurate updates, follow only the official sites of GCash.

Here’s a rundown for your reference:
Website: www.gcash.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gcashofficial
Twitter: www.twitter.com/gcashofficial
Instagram: www.instagram.com/gcashofficial

MAKE SURE YOU ARE SENDING PAYMENT TO THE RIGHT MERCHANT/BILLER.
GCash has a scan-to-pay feature that lets you pay via QR code. This is one way to be sure that you are paying the right merchant/biller. If the merchant/biller did not provide their QR code, at least double check the mobile number or bank details before processing your payment.

REGULARLY CHECK YOUR TRANSACTION HISTORY

Better safe than sorry. This might take a little extra effort from you but by regularly checking your transaction history, you’ll be able to spot a suspicious or unauthorized transaction right away.