MANILA, Philippines—Mobile wallet GCash said Wednesday all customer accounts and funds remain secure, as it denied reports of a data breach after a post on a dark web forum falsely claimed to sell user data.
The mobile wallet, led by Globe Telecom’s fintech unit, assured the public there has been “no breach, no leaks, and no compromise in its systems,” following an assessment by both the company and the government’s Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).
The post on the dark web, which surfaced over the weekend, was reportedly deleted as of the evening of Oct. 27, confirming findings that the supposed leak was fake and involved recycled information from a previous, unrelated incident.
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Aguda said in a radio interview that they had been monitoring the issue and that all agencies immediately issued advisories to protect the public.
Aguda commended GCash for its immediate coordination with authorities to verify and resolve the matter, reiterating the finding that the post was fake and that GCash remains safe and secure.
“If you see data allegedly being sold online, do not panic or share personal information,” Aguda said.
“Always verify through legitimate sources and be careful with what you post or click,” he said.
Aguda said the alleged data sets did not originate from GCash.
Cybersecurity experts supported these findings, explaining that the deletion of the dark web post reflects its lack of credibility.
“In the dark web ecosystem, credibility is everything,” said cybersecurity analyst and Scam Watch Pilipinas co-founder Art Samaniego.
“When a post vanishes after exposure, it’s often a sign that the data was fake and the user has been cut off,” he said, noting that a poster exposed for uploading fake or recycled data is quickly banned and blacklisted by forum moderators.
GCash reminded the public to avoid reposting unverified information online and to rely only on official channels for accurate updates. The company also warned that it would pursue legal action against individuals or groups spreading malicious or false claims that cause public confusion and undermine user trust.
“Our commitment to customer safety and data security is absolute,” GCash said in a statement.
“We thank the DICT and CICC for their leadership and partnership in ensuring a safe and secure digital financial ecosystem for all Filipinos,” it said.
