VICTIMS of scams over the phone or online should report incidents to the government’s Inter-Agency Response Center (IARC) “instead of ranting on social media”, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) said Sunday, November 10.
The agency issued the reminder on Sunday after reports on social media of GCash users losing money from their accounts.
The mobile wallet firm has attributed the incidents to errors in an ongoing “system reconciliation process” and has assured the public that their money and accounts are safe.
“We encourage the public to please report to CICC if they were affected by the recent e-wallet loses. We may be able to assist them if they call 1326 so they can be assisted in the investigation instead of posting their losses in social media,” CICC Executive Director Alexander Ramos said.
“Your social media platforms will not in anyway assist you nor resolve your losses in your e-wallets,” he also said.
Many people in the Philippines and around the world turn to social media for redress or to raise awareness of and call government attention to issues.
CICC said it is coordinating with GCash on the reported incidents and is “collaborating closely with the National Telecommunication Commission on how victims can be assisted.”
It said that most of the people affected by the error have had their accounts restored by Saturday night.
The Philippines in 2022 required SIM card registration to supposedly curb mobile phone scams and spam messages but scams have continued, with scammers using messaging apps and “text blaster” gadgets to bypass telecommunications companies.
The IARC hotline 1326 is toll-free and operates round-the-clock from Mondays to Sundays, including holidays. (ABS-CBN News)
