[Investor Alert] SEC Issues Advisories Against 10 Investment Schemes

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Editing by Nathaniel Cajuday

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) warns against ten entities conducting investment solicitations without the necessary license, cautioning investors against engaging with these schemes.
The warned entities include Fresh Deals Meat Trading, Life Blessing Philippines, Salig Philippines, Seven Co, Gemini Trust Company, Prolayer Egg Layer Poultry Farming, QZ Asset Management, Crypto Hub Finance, Enjoy PH, and Shopro International.
These entities promise high returns within a short period, employ Ponzi schemes, and lack proper registration, license, or authorization from the SEC.

In line with their ongoing efforts to protect the investing public against fraudulent schemes, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a warning against ten entities, cautioning investors against engaging with the schemes as they have been conducting investment solicitations without the required license from the Commission.

“The Commission remains unwavering in its efforts to stamp out illegal investment-taking activities through financial literacy campaigns and advisories to the public. You may visit the SEC website at www.sec.gov.ph to learn more about the Commission’s enforcement actions and investor education campaign,” the SEC wrote.

The Ten Investment Schemes

1. FRESH DEALS MEAT TRADING

Date of Advisory: March 28, 2023.

Fresh Deals Meat Trading, along with its CEO/Founder Raymond C. Cabanting, has been enticing individuals to join their exclusive social media group on Facebook and sign up on their website to take advantage of their enticing investment schemes.

The entity is said to be promoting investment opportunities starting from as low as ₱ 500.00 up to ₱ 500,000.00, promising investors daily returns of 20% or a total of 300% within 15 days. Additionally, they claim to offer a 15% commission through direct referrals.

As of this writing, its Facebook Group is still active with 353 members, while its website is no longer active.

2. LIFE BLESSING PHILIPPINES

Date of Advisory: March 28, 2023

Led by Michael Macayana, this group presents investment opportunities, claiming to provide guaranteed returns ranging from 25% to 150% within a period of 10 to 40 days. According to the information it shared with its investors, these returns are generated through forex trading and online casino business.

On its Facebook page, it frequently posts a selection of investment plans, where potential investors can choose their desired account type along with the corresponding investment amount and projected profit return.

As of writing, the page is already down. Some reports also stressed that its “Lifeblessing PH Community” FB Group has been changed to “Buy and Sell PH” days after the commission’s advisory.

3. SALIG PHILIPPINES

Date of Advisory: April 4, 2023.

Founded by Ireneo T. Daligdigan, Jr., a.k.a. Jun Daligdigan, the Mindanao-based entities Salig Philippines/Salig Phils./Salig Philippines Foundation/Salig Philippines Inc. and Society Of The Advocate Of Lights Philippines Inc. have been promoting investment opportunities with a minimum investment of ₱5,800.00, promising a 30% return after 30 days.

The SEC noted that the operations of these entities employ a Ponzi scheme, where investors earn through recruitment fees instead of the sale of actual products/services, and investors are paid using the contributions of new members.

According to the Commission, despite the Society Of The Advocate Of Lights Philippines Inc. being registered as a non-stock corporation, it lacks registration to issue, sell, or offer securities to the public or engage in business activities that require a secondary license. Consequently, the Commission has already suspended its registration.

4. SEVEN CO

Date of Advisory: March 28, 2023.

The business schemes titled Seven Co Investment & Online Paluwagan / Seven Co Profit Sharing & Online Paluwagan offer enticing monetary rewards. They promote on social media platforms, promising guaranteed profits of 20% for a 10-day investment and 30% for a 15-day investment.

As per the SEC, the firm is being operated by individuals identified as Angel Camille Martin and his associates, namely, Lander Jones Arsenio and Mary Ann Ranole Cortez.

5. GEMINI TRUST COMPANY, LLC

Date of Advisory: May 18, 2023

International firm Gemini Trust Company, LLC, which is offering its product, Gemini Derivatives, received a warning from the Philippine SEC for openly offering derivatives that are classified as “securities.”

The Commission noted that the entity is operating without proper registration with the SEC and lacks the necessary license or authority to solicit investments from the public, accept placements, or issue securities.

Following this, Gemini has recently excluded the Philippines on its website from the list of countries where it provides derivatives.

Read how SEC Commissioner Kelvin explained why ‌the SEC flagged down the operations of Gemini Derivatives in the country.

6. PROLAYER EGG LAYER POULTRY FARMING

Date of Advisory: May 25, 2023.

According to the Commission, it discovered the entity’s unregistered entity operating through social media platforms, claiming to be involved in the egg and poultry farming business.

They attract investor members by promising daily earnings of 5% for a period of 30 days, resulting in a total return on investment of 150%. Furthermore, investor members are assured of receiving commissions through both direct and indirect referrals.

The SEC identified a certain Anthony Pascual Ebusca (known as Anton Ebusca on Facebook) as its CEO/Founder.

Currently, the website where they encourage their proactive investors to register is no longer accessible.

7. QZ ASSET MANAGEMENT

Date of Advisory: May 30, 2023

QZ Asset has been attracting public investment by offering two types of investment plans: the “Basic Plan,” with a minimum amount of $100 to $900, and the “Elite Plan,” with a minimum amount of $1000 and above. They entice investors by assuring guaranteed earnings ranging from 0.5% to 1.0% daily, 3.5% to 7.0% weekly, and 15% to 30% monthly, along with additional rewards and bonuses.

In addition, the entity further attracts investors by leveraging its purported proprietary and acclaimed fintech solution, QZ Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (BDAI) analytics, asserting its ability to sustain robust growth across various market conditions.

As of this writing, its website is no longer available.

8. CRYPTO HUB FINANCE

Date of Advisory: May 30, 2023

On another entity leveraging the popularity of crypto in the country, the SEC has released a cautionary statement regarding Crypto Hub Finance, an entity that guarantees daily returns of up to 2% for 75 days, along with a 5% affiliate bonus and an additional 5% cashback.

Based on the Commission’s investigations, it has been determined that Crypto Hub Finance is operating without the necessary license and registration, and its operations are consistent with a Ponzi scheme.

Currently, its website and official FB group are still working, and its team released its plans for the rest of the year despite the advisory.

9. ENJOY PH

Date of Advisory: June 8, 2023

According to the SEC, Enjoy PH is enticing the public to invest through social media platforms. ENJOY PH offers various ways to earn as an investor, including completing daily tasks, referring friends, and receiving bonuses. The company has different VIP levels with corresponding subscription fees and direct referral bonuses.

They have been luring the general public into online investments by offering daily returns ranging from 3% to 3.5% for a period of 60 days. To achieve this profit, individuals are required to invest in their equity allotment plans, which range from ₱1,100.00 to ₱17,600.00.

The SEC highlights that tasking and recharging scams employed by Enjoy PH resemble Ponzi schemes, which use funds from new investors to pay profits to prior investors.

Its Facebook page is still active and currently has 1.2K likes and 1.3K followers.

10. SHOPRO INTERNATIONAL

Date of Advisory: June 8, 2023

The Commission noted that the entity is not authorized to solicit investments from the public by enticing them via social media to invest in their various equity allotment plans with promised daily profits for over a 60-day period. However, the entity is not registered with the Commission and has not obtained the necessary licenses or permits to sell securities or engage in regulated activities.

This group lured the public into investing in their entity by following three steps: completing daily tasks, referring friends, and earning bonuses when the team completes tasks. To participate, investors must subscribe with an investment ranging from $100 to $10,000 and reach specific levels based on their subscription fee. Investors can earn a minimum of 3.5% commission and receive bonuses for referrals and task completion.

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