GCash Blocks 3,200+ Merchants Tied to Illegal Gambling
GCash and CICC announced a major enforcement crackdown at a March 4 press conference, permanently blocking over 3,200 online merchants connected to illegal gambling operations exploiting QRPh payment rails through QR masking and phishing interfaces.
Key Takeaway
GCash's QRPh crackdown shows digital payment rails are now frontline enforcement tools against illegal gambling.
G-Xchange Chief Information and Security Officer Miguel Geronilla said the company is proactively blocking unauthorized actors and reporting them to regulators to protect Filipinos and maintain trust in the country's digital financial ecosystem. The enforcement campaign targeted merchants exploiting QRPh payment rails through QR masking, fake payment pages, and phishing interfaces mimicking the official GCash platform.
Undersecretary Aboy Paraiso announced the enforcement results at the March 4 press conference. He said the combined enhanced monitoring and zero tolerance policy of the fintech super app led to the permanent closure and blocking of the 3,200 merchants associated with illegal gaming.
GCash detects unauthorized merchant activity through its monitoring systems and immediately suspends accounts linked to fraudulent operations. The company reports suspicious transactions to AMLC and CICC as part of its regulatory compliance framework.
The merchant blocking campaign aligns with President Marcos' October 2025 ban on all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations under Republic Act No. 12312. That law revoked POGO licenses, cancelled visas and work permits, and ordered job transitions through DOLE.
GCash warned users to protect their MPIN and OTP credentials, verify QR codes before scanning, and avoid transferring funds to personal accounts since legitimate merchants don't request wallet transfers. Users can report suspicious activity to the GCash Help Center at 2882, the CICC hotline at 1326, or the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group at (02) 8723-0401 extension 7491.
🇵🇭 What This Means for Filipinos: GCash users should verify QR codes and merchant identities before completing QRPh payments, as scammers have been masking illegal gambling operations as legitimate businesses using QR masking and phishing interfaces. The blocking of 3,200 merchants protects the 94 million GCash users from accidentally funding illegal operations or falling victim to phishing scams that capture payment credentials. This enforcement strengthens trust in the QRPh system that many Filipinos now use for daily transactions and small business payments.
