SEC Warns Public Against Bitcoin and Consumer Goods Scams in Agusan del Sur

SAN FRANCISCO, AGUSAN DEL SUR — The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Butuan Extension Office has cautioned the public against two new fraudulent investment operations involving bitcoin trading and consumer goods schemes that promise unrealistic profits.

In an advisory shared by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga, the SECs Enforcement and Investor Protection Department (EIPD) identified Christabel Arroyo and De Guzman Consumer Goods Trading as unregistered entities allegedly involved in illegal investment operations using social media platforms.

According to the SEC, Arroyo has been soliciting funds from the public through Facebook and Messenger for a supposed bitcoin mining and trading business. Investors are lured with promises of earning up to ₱50,000 within 24 hours from a minimum investment of ₱5,000. Authorities said Arroyo uses GCash accounts to collect investments and distribute returns. However, SEC clarified that she holds no license to solicit or sell securities under the Securities Regulation Code.

“The public is advised not to invest or continue investing in any scheme offered by Christabel Arroyo,” the SEC said, stressing that her operations are unauthorized and unsafe for the public.

Meanwhile, De Guzman Consumer Goods Trading was found to be operating without the required registration or authority from the Commission. The EIPD warned that its investment activities exhibit signs of a Ponzi scheme, in which funds from new investors are used to pay returns to earlier participants. The SEC cautioned that such schemes typically benefit top recruiters while later investors absorb the losses once recruitment slows down.

Under the Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act (Republic Act No. 11765), individuals or groups involved in investment fraud, including Ponzi operations, face severe legal consequences.

Those acting as salesmen, brokers, agents, promoters, influencers, or recruiters for Arroyo or De Guzman Trading may face fines of up to ₱5 million, imprisonment of up to 21 years, or both.

The Commission urged the public to stay vigilant and avoid “too-good-to-be-true” opportunities circulating online. It also encouraged anyone with information on the operations of Christabel Arroyo or De Guzman Consumer Goods Trading to contact the EIPD via email at epd@sec.gov.ph.