After a number of netizens raised security concerns amid alleged hacking incidents earlier this month (#BoycottGCash), a widely used mobile wallet firm has decided to take swift action and start helping its customers get rid of suspected account hacking.
GCash, the country’s leading mobile wallet platform, has just introduced a new security feature designed to deter account takeovers by scammers.
In a press release, the e-wallet company said that it is set to introduce an additional security feature called “DoubleSafe,” a two-factor authentication app that adds an extra layer of security for GCash users.
Every time a new mobile phone is logged in for the first time, DoubleSafe will automatically be activated. This action is expected to deter scammers from taking over an account by requesting an additional code before they can sign in, making it harder to access stolen GCash accounts.
Starting this March, the new two-factor authentication feature will be offered to its 76 million users worldwide.
New security app to include facial recognition
According to GCash, Filipinos can now level up the security measures of their account by activating the “DoubleSafe” authentication feature.
The new feature employs facial recognition to secure an account even if customers have unintentionally given fraudsters access to their mobile phone pin and one-time password (OTP).
Apart from the standard SMS OTP, the user will have to take a selfie scan before being granted access to their account. “With your face, ikaw lang may access sa account mo!” the mobile wallet added in its social media post.
GCash added that Filipinos can activate the new feature by doing the following:
- Enter your GCash mobile number.
- Key in your SMS one-time password.
- Enter your MPIN.
- Prepare for your selfie scan and tap ‘next’
- Take a selfie scan
A short tutorial on how to activate the app has also been made available on GCash’s Twitter account.
GCash reminds users to always safeguard their account
“But aside from these security measures, we are now also ramping up reminders to our 76 million users on how they can safeguard their accounts,” said Miguel Geronilla, head of GCash’s fraud management, in a press statement.
The parent company of GCash, Globe Telecom Inc., has also claimed to have already blocked 2.72 billion spam and scam messages in 2022, more than double the 1.15 billion attacks it had blocked in 2021.
The telco giant has also blocked 83.4 million bank-related online spam mails in 2017.
Globe has since invested around US$20 million to improve its system for filtering and detecting spam and fraudulent SMS.