UnionBank says Gatchalian credit card hack is an isolated incident

Union Bank of the Philippines said Wednesday it is now investigating the hacking of Senator Sherwin Gatchalian’s credit card, which was used to purchase P1-million worth of food for delivery.

Earlier in the day,  Gatchalian said he discovered that his Union Bank credit card was used in unauthorized transactions totaling P1,076,880.

The senator attached a screenshot of the transactions which showed that four purchases were charged in the afternoon of January 5.

Gatchalian said that he is not ruling out the possibility that an "insider" may be involved.

UnionBank declared that the matter is an “isolated incident.”

The bank added that it is now in the process of conducting a full investigation. It is also closely working with Food Panda and the concerned merchants who were also affected in the incident.

“Food Panda is also undertaking a parallel investigation into the matter and we are committed to working with them and pertinent law enforcement authorities like the PNP (Philippine National Police) and the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) to bring whoever is behind this incident to justice,” Union Bank said.

Gatchalian said the bank immediately cut his credit card after receiving a report from him.

“UnionBank has always been committed to the security of our customers and we remain driven to ensure their safety when transacting online,” the bank said.

“We also take this opportunity to remind all our customers to practice vigilance while doing financial transactions,” it added. — BM, GMA News