MANILA, PHILIPPINES — An email pretending to be one of the prominent E-wallets in the Philippines, Gcash, sends phishing links to unsuspecting users before SIM card registration implementation.
In a trending Facebook post, Gcash user Justin Dey Carpio shared his experiences last December 21, 2022, about receiving an email from the e-wallet company.
The fake email informed Carpio that his Gcash account was restricted due to the SIM registration act and that he would need to register using the given phishing link.
The page redirected through the phishing link asks for your mobile number connected to your Gcash account, followed by the One-Time-Pin (OTP) sent to your mobile phone. This is information that allows hackers to access your account.
Gcash reminds users to keep online accounts secure
Scammers now have many ways to extract personal data from users. Here are some tips to keep in mind when doing online transactions, especially during the SIM registration period:
- Never click on unfamiliar links or links from random emails or numbers.
- Going to unofficial channels for online transactions is very risky. Only use trusted websites given by official emails and numbers.
- Giving your passwords and pins is unsafe. Officials from companies will never ask for them.
- You should always be on the lookout for scams. Always doubt messages that ask for personal information.
- Update your passwords regularly.
- Activate two-factor authentication if available to improve the security of your account.
With the digitalization of many transactions, it has become easy for scammers to trick unsuspecting and new users into giving their personal information. Therefore, always keep in mind that online security is best practiced offline.
When browsing the internet, always doubt the legitimacy of new transactions until you have proven they are trustworthy. In addition, never install dubious and illegal applications, which may bring unsuspecting consequences later. – WhatALife!/Vaughn
Also read: GCash hides usernames to increase protection against text scams
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