GCash Unauthorized Transaction of ₱699 by Starread Technology Limited

On October 23, 2026 at around 9:53 PM, an unauthorized transaction for 699.00 pesos was deducted from my GCash account in favor of Starread Technology Limited. The payment appears in my transaction history under reference number 207315656 with merchant transaction number AD2113629946707255296. I did not authorize this payment, did not knowingly transact with this merchant, and was not using any specific app or website related to this charge at the time. The deduction simply appeared on my GCash account without my intention or consent. After noticing the charge, I contacted GCash support and explained that this was an unauthorized transaction. The response I received stated that I should keep the payment receipt, my refund request messages, and the reference number 207315656 as proof, and that I may send a follow-up refund request to the merchant. GCash also informed me that refund approval and processing must come from Starread Technology Limited and that GCash cannot issue or decide on the refund, even though I am disputing the transaction as unauthorized. I have already attempted to contact the merchant about this, but I have not received any response. I request that GCash treat this as an unauthorized transaction dispute, conduct a proper investigation, and arrange a full refund of the 699.00 pesos deducted from my account. I also ask that any necessary security checks be made on my account to prevent similar unauthorized deductions in the future and that I be clearly informed in writing about the result of this review.