MANILA – The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a series of advisories warning the public against several individuals and groups preying on unsuspecting investors through fraudulent investment schemes.

One advisory cautioned against scammers posing as representatives of COL Financial Group Inc., using forged documents bearing the company’s letterhead and data from former personnel to deceive victims.

“In these schemes, victims were told that funds they had previously lost in other scams had been ‘reinvested’ with COL. The victims were then required to pay multiple fees, such as so-called ‘tax fees,’ in order to withdraw their supposed investments. However, no funds were ever returned, and the scammers simply kept imposing additional payments until the victims stopped complying,” the SEC said.

The regulator clarified that COL Financial confirmed the documents, websites, and communications involved “did not originate from the company.” It urged affected individuals to file complaints with the Philippine National Police (PNP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), or the Department of Justice (DOJ).

In another advisory, the SEC warned the public against investing in De Guzman Consumer Goods Trading, allegedly owned by Rosemary De Leon De Guzman, which claims to be engaged in farming, pet breeding, rice trading, and trucking services.

According to the SEC, the firm is not registered to solicit investments. The business invites the public to invest or become “co-partners” with a promise of 60 to 200 percent returns within 30 to 60 days.

The Commission described this as a Ponzi scheme, where returns are paid from new investors’ money rather than legitimate profits — a setup that collapses when recruitment slows, leaving late investors at a loss.

Meanwhile, a separate advisory warned against Christabel Arroyo, who allegedly offers investment opportunities in bitcoin mining and trading, promising high profits.

“Based on reports, Christabel Arroyo through her Facebook account is inviting the public to invest a minimum capital of PHP5,000 for a promise of receiving earnings amounting to PHP50,000 within 24 hours,” the SEC said.

The scheme allegedly uses GCash accounts to collect investments and distribute payouts. The SEC said Arroyo’s activities fall under the definition of an “investment contract,” which requires registration with the Commission.

The SEC reminded the public that those found operating unregistered investment schemes face penalties of up to PHP5 million in fines or 21 years of imprisonment.