Leny Orcine Sierda, a 37-year-old
female resident of Brgy. Santa Catalina, San Pablo, Laguna, is now facing
charges after receiving a series of fund transfers totaling to P71,500.00 as
downpayment for a fraudulent real estate transaction under the name of Brenda
Maxwell.
The victim, a 23-year-old male
research analyst and resident of Baguio City, reported the crime when his
online messages were blocked by Sierda, after the victim paid the agreed amount
for a unit in Cypress Towers, a property located in Brgy. Ususan, Taguig.
Further investigation led to the true identity of the suspect, who happens to
be the PNP’s top-most wanted in Cordillera.
According to the victim, he met
Sierda through an online platform for buying, selling, and leasing properties.
Sierda was tagged by the law
enforcement agency as the number one most wanted criminal in the province during the first quarter of
2023.
"The apprehension of
Cordillera’s number one most wanted cybercriminal is an indication of our
police force’s improved capabilities in fighting cybercrime with technology and
the proactive cooperation of GCash. We aim to further strengthen this joint
operation in order to achieve a safe online environment for the Filipino
consumer," says PBGen Sidney Hernia, PNP ACG Director.
The leading fintech has been in
close coordination with law enforcement authorities, such as the PNP, CIDG,
CICC, and NBI, to ensure the security of
its more than 79 million users against criminals, scammers, and
fraudsters. A large number of suspects were detained as a result of the
cooperation, and more than 900,000 fraudulent accounts were blocked in 2022.
GCash warns users to exercise
caution when transacting on the platform, never reveal their MPIN or OTP, and
never click links that lead to external websites or senders, especially if they
are unfamiliar.
For help and assistance, contact
the PNP-ACG via their hotlines at (02) 8414-1560, 0998-598-8116, or via email
at acg@pnp.gov.ph.
To report scams and fraudulent
activities, visit the official GCash Help Center at help.gcash.com or message
Gigi on the website and type, "I want to report a scam." GCash will
never send private messages to ask for personal information, especially the
MPIN and One-Time Pin (OTP). Customers can also reach out to the official GCash
hotline at 2882 for queries and other concerns.
For more information, visit www.gcash.com.ph.
