THE probe conducted by the National Privacy Commission (NPC) revealed that the unauthorized fund transfers that affected numerous GCash accounts on May 9 were accomplished through “meticulous phishing” on online gambling sites.

More than 1,000 GCash accounts out of its 81 million subscribers were affected by the scam.

“Upon our thorough investigation, we have determined that the unauthorized transactions in GCash accounts were a result of a meticulous phishing scheme,” Privacy Commissioner John Henry Naga said in a statement.

Phishing is the act of tricking an internet user into revealing personal information for illicit purposes. Naga said scammers phished GCash users on gambling websites.

“We have ordered GXI to intensify its education and awareness campaign to its clients to prevent similar incidents in the future,” Naga said.

“We assure the public that the National Privacy Commission remains resolute in its mandate to safeguard the rights of data subjects and protect personal information. We will employ the full extent of our powers under the law to penalize those who violate the Data Privacy Act of 2012,” he added.