TO PROVIDE Filipinos with secure and safe digital financial services, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center (CICC) has signed an agreement with finance app GCash to intensify its campaign against online fraud and scams.
Under the agreement, GCash will continue to collaborate with CICC, leverage its capabilities, synergize efforts in combating cybercrime activities, and improve cyber capabilities and resilience while accelerating digitization initiatives in line with its vision of “Finance for All.”
The memorandum of agreement signing ceremony was graced by Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy, who emphasized that the CICC, an agency under the DICT, and GCash will synergize their strengths to become “futurists” that will work together to protect Filipinos by preempting the activities of cybercriminals.
The partnership between the CICC and GCash, he said, is “a strong signal to the whole community and to cyber criminals that we are not sitting back, that we will be aggressive in securing the money that the public has entrusted to us, and that we will actively, diligently and relentlessly run after cybercriminals, whoever they may be, and bring them to justice.”
Uy was also joined by CICC Undersecretary Alexander Ramos and retired Supreme Court Justice Andres Reyes Jr., GCash head of New Businesses, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Winsley Bangit, GCash chief legal officer Maria Corazon Alvarez-Adriano and GCash legal head Gilbert A. Escoto.
In his speech, Ramos urged the victims of online scams to immediately file a report with GCash and the CICC, “not on social media.”
Ramos said they will mobilize the rapid incident response mechanism enabled by the partnership between GCash and the CICC, ensuring the timely protection of the public and preventing scammers from victimizing more people. The undersecretary also urged the public to contact the government’s 24/7 anti-scam response hotline at 1326 if they suspect any scams.
Through its continuous cooperation with authorities, GCash has blocked over four million fraudulent accounts and taken down 810 phishing sites and 45,000 malicious social media posts and accounts in 2023.
According to Bangit, a strong alliance with government agencies like the CICC is a big boost to creating a safer digital ecosystem for Filipinos, especially as they transact online.
“We are honored to stand shoulder to shoulder with you in the pursuit of a safer and more just society,” he added.
Adriano said that with the ongoing integration of digital technologies supported by public sector agencies like the CICC, “GCash is poised for a state-of-the-art, stable and inclusive financial system that will support the economic growth of the country.” / PR