G-xchange banks on facial recognition technology as Gcash security feature

PAyment-system operator G-xchange Inc. is banking on facial recognition as a security feature users of the Gcash app could use. Last Tuesday, the firm said it has rolled out the feature last May 10 amid reports of a security breach on its system.

The firm said the face-recognition technology “guarantees that the person accessing an account is the same as the one who registered in Gcash.”

This means that even if users inadvertently give out their mobile personal identification number (MPIN) and one-time pin (OTP), their account still cannot be accessed from a new device without scanning the owner’s face, the company said. Also, it looks for the user’s “liveness” to make sure photos can’t be used to bypass the security control.

According to Gcash Chief Technology and Operations Officer Pebbles Sy-manalang, the technology is in-app and doesn’t require mobile phones with high-end features.

“We made sure all our verified user base will have access to this security feature as we notice the prevalence of phishing attempts outside the app,” Sy-manalang said.

The executive cited the firm’s many initiatives to fight fraud.

She said that the company blocked 3.1 million accounts that have been tagged as fraudulent from January 2022 to April 2023. Sy-manalang added they have also taken down 722 phishing sites and 38,000 malicious social media posts and accounts during the same period.

Likewise, she said that in the first week of May, they also barred 23,000 accounts that went beyond the guidelines under the Anti-money Laundering law (Republic Act 9160). This means the e-wallet provider tracked transactions in these accounts that are against the AMLA.

Sy-manalang said they “work closely” with the Philippine National Police Anti-cybercrime Group, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center to deter online fraud.