POLICE authorities, for the umpteenth time, have warned the public to be extra careful in dealing with the proliferating investment scheme around the country, as even some of them fell victims to the call of easy money.
“Some of us are victims too of this kind of business. So, for the public to be forewarned..let’s put it this way that if the offer sounds like ‘it’s too good to be true’ or ‘easy money’ then be wary,” said Deputy Director for Administration Surki Seriñas of the Cagayan de Oro City Police.
“If the business offer is very tempting, try to also check if it is registered with the Security Exchange Commission and has permits or legalities with the Bureau of Internal Revenue,” he added.
This, developed after the arrest of large-scale estafa suspect Jelie Rose Oredimo who was presented to the media at the Cocpo office, over the weekend, in the company of Cocpo Deputy Director Philip Pontillas, Police Station 4 chief Mario Nalla and spokesperson PMajor Evan Viñas.
The 24-year-old Oredimo, single and a resident of Zone 1, Barangay New Basak, Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur, was considered as the No.1 most wanted person in the region on the weight of 33 counts of estafa cases that she's facing with and with over a million-peso in bail bond for her temporary liberty.
Oredimo, however, told Gold Star Daily that she’s only employed as cashier of the “double-your-money" business owned by American financier Justin Mangle, who could not be located by the government agents, as of press time.
“Walay pangalan iyang negosyo basta mo invest ka lang, ang one thousand mag P1,900 na sunod semana,” said Oredimo, whose last pay out to the early investors was at the amount of P3-million before everything went sour.
“Kini siya (Oredimo) matawag nga front lang kay iyang gitagoan gani sa layong dapit sa Zamboanga usa lang ka barong-barong. Pero ang problema kay siya man ang pinaka principal nga ma access sa mga biktima nga wala na makadawat sa capital o tubo sa ilang kwarta,” said PMajor Mario Nalla Mantal Jr, one of Oredimo’s arresting officers.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has also issued several advisories against investment scams in just the second month of the year.
SEC’s Cagayan de Oro Extension Office warns the public in dealing with their investments particularly to this certain Wellcons Unlimited System Inc., (Wellcons) whose operations proliferate in the areas of Region X and the Caraga Region.
As of February 2022, the SEC has posted 27 Advisories already pertaining to suspicious and fraudulent investment taking in the public without the necessary licenses from the Commission.
The majority of the identified entities, SEC observed, utilize the online platforms through mobile applications in order to entice the general public in various areas.
“We are discouraging the public to place their investments to these entities with advisories already because it is an indicator that the Commission has found out suspicious activities on investment-taking without the necessary requirements to legally operate. Please protect your investment through your money or properties from the enticing individuals or groups with harmful intentions.” Lawyer Frederick A. Enopia, Office-in-Charge of SEC-CDOEO said in a statement.
The complete list of advisories as of February 2022 are as follows:
- Beastnessallday Corporation
- Wellcons Unlimited Systems, Inc.
- Astrazion International, Astrazion Noble Task Community Foundation, and Astrazion Global Holdings, Inc.
- LMB Footbal
- QFX Market Limited/ QFX Trade Limited/ QFX Technology Services
- Freecit/Freebit
- SOS Venture
- S.O.S System
- PHTOP
- Future Farming/ Future Farming ICD/ Future Farming FF Store
- Seymoure Paul Conceptualized Piggery Farming
- Videospays
- BF Football/ BF Football Investment Platform
- FXD Philippines
- Ignite Virtus International
- Epic Trading
- Cryptopayz
- Ride2success Digital Marketing Services
- Kaizen Unlimited Philippines
- Pawisngpinoy Online Investment
- Paidtunes
- Walletpays
- Cryptostakers/ Crypto-stakers.com
- Trust Legacy International/ Trust Legacy Internation
- Outrace “Play to Earn”
- Tunegaga
- UP-Mass Innovative Marketing Corporation/ Umim Corporation
