On Going Crime (How Lack Of Financial Literacy Can Destroy Your Life)
The Need To Earn
I think people need to earn now more than ever. We are on a crisis. When Pandemic hit people lost their business. People lost their jobs. That made a lot of people desperate. If you are desperate for cash, some people will use it against you.
FORSAGE
Forsage scheme continues despite SEC investor warnings Forsage scheme continues despite SEC investor warnings BUSINESS 7 AUGUST 2020
An alleged digital currency Ponzi scheme has continued to attract unsuspecting investors in the Philippines, more than a month after it was first flagged by regulators.
The securities regulator of the Philippines cautioned investors to be aware of several digital currency schemes in July, including a company called Forsage, in its latest round of warnings against unauthorized schemes and their operators.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published details of three firms peddling digital currency that investors should be aware of—Forsage, RCashOnline and The Saint John of Jerusalem Knights of Malta Foundation of the Philippines, Inc. Forsage was identified as being unregistered, which means the company has no legal standing to accept investments, or to sell investment products to the public. Yet a month later, the scheme is still operating without the approval of the securities regulator.
Those involved in the company are liable to prosecution according to the SEC, with unlawful investment activity attracting up to 21 years in prison, as well as fines of up to PHP5 million (~US$102,000).
Miguel Cuneta, co-founder of local fintech startup Satoshi Citadel Industries, described Forsage as a “run-of-the-mill Ponzi” scheme. He was quoted by other media sources saying that he’s received inquiries about “’investing’ in Ethereum” as “people are posting screenshots of their wallets turning a small amount of money into a large amount of money in a short time.”
“It’s the run-of-the-mill Ponzi scheme using Ethereum, or in the case of the earlier ones that were already busted, BTC, as the ‘product’ they are selling,” Cuneta said.
“Join by paying X amount of money, and then either do nothing and earn in ETH, or if you want to earn more, recruit three people and let them do the same thing. They use the rising BTC and ETH prices to prove that the investment is really earning. It’s the same formula every single time. Sadly, people are desperate to earn extra income in this pandemic crisis and fall for these schemes more easily.”
Source: https://coingeek.com/forsage-scheme-continues-despite-sec-investor-warnings/
EC "Based on numerous reports and information gathered by the Commission, the entity operating under the name FORSAGE, headed by LADO OKHOTNIKOV, is found to be engaged in investment-taking activities in the Philippines which is NOT AUTHORIZED by the Commission,” the SEC noted.
“The public is advised NOT TO INVEST or STOP INVESTING in any scheme offered by FORSAGE or such other entities engaged in smart contracts, cryptocurrencies, and digital asset trading that are not registered with the Commission and the BSP,” the SEC further said.
“It is not an investment strategy but a gullibility scheme, which works only as long as there is an ever increasing number of new investors joining the scheme,”
Forsage is the latest in the SEC’s list of unauthorized investment operators ordered to shut down this year. The others are Fast Track Worldwide, Inc.; JOCALS688 Beauty and Wellness Products Trading, Inc.; Building Our Success Stories Network, Inc.; CROWD1 Asia Pacific, Inc.; Lion City Finance Group, Inc.; and Payasian Pte. Ltd. Corp.
My Personal Tip
If you ask me how all these years I avoided scams and ponzi schemes I will tell you na its very simple. Una, if may mag invite sa inyo sa kung ano man na business or online investment type ninyo agad sa google. Do a search kase if fraud yan marami articles lalabas. That’s easy to do.
Let’s say mautak sila at ngpopost sila good reviews ng company nila sa internet. Heto next ninyo na gawin. Ask nyo kung saan galing ang kikita.in nyo. May product ba sila or kailangan mo magrecruit. If my product try mo e check gaano kaganda ang product nila na kayang magbigay sayo ng maraming pera from sales. If sabon ang product nila for example tapos sinasabihan ka magiging mayaman ka in short time aba’y magduda ka na kase di naman ganyan kadami bumibili ng sabon. If my product hanapin mo magkano sales nila via products per month and magkano profit sa sales na yun. Do a mental math to see if malakas nga ba kita.
If walang product at kailangan mo magrecruit aba’y umayaw ka na agad kase ang kita mo manggagaling sa pera ng e rerecruit mo. If may product pero di naman ganun kalaki ang kita sa product na yun pero sinasabihan ka yayaman ka aba’y umayaw ka na agad. Panghuli, kapag hindi mo naiintindihan ang negosyo or kung paano ang company kumikita ng pera senyales na yan na dapat mo iwasan. Marami kase lilituhin ka. Sasabihin na nag iinvest ang company sa bitcoin or forex kaya million million ang kinikita. Haleeer if million million kinikita bakit ka pa iniinvite??
Kung marami kayo time email or call nyo SEC to verify if scam nga ba. Lets all help each other para mabawasan na nabibiktima ng mga ganito. Yung ibang ngrerecruit are also victims kase di nila na fully comprehend na illegal ang ginagawa nila. I hope we can all work together to help stop scams sa Pinas.
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2 Comments
IAN
Few months back – I received a lot of private messages from my Facebook friends, asking me to join Forsage. They even sent me snapshot of their “earnings”. I’ve been a member of TL since February – and one thing that I realized is that I have changed, particularly when it comes to do with stuff related to finances. So my TL instinc kicks in – and prior to giving them a quick “Yes, so where do I sign up response” – I do my due diligence. A quick google search back then already shows a lot of red flags about Forsage. There were warnings coming out from SEC talking about how this is another Ponzi Scheme. But desperate times truly bring out the desperate side of ourselves sometimes. Na kahit na, andaming red flags – we tend of keep our eyes shut. Ang stupid ng mentality na to actually. Kelan pa naging good ang red flags???!!
I remember sending helpful links and legitimate posts to some of those who invited me (kasi nga aside from knowing how to care for myself, I wanted to help others din in knowing how they can protect themselves – one thing na nakuha ko din dito sa TL Family). Some of them took it well, and realized they have to know more before throwing some funds in somewhere na di nila alam kung ano nga ba. But there were some na, ayaw makinig. Well, dun na natatapos yung part ko. I believe na, when people throw something at you – the least you can do is to evaluate it first prior to turning it down. Works both ways actually – nag-offer sila, I evaluated the offer; nagprovide ako ng feedback (and shared those early onset warnings) – dapat din ine-evaluate din nila. So at the end both parties can make a sound decision on what course of action to do next. Sign up or not.
Mark
Ponzi Scheme. Lagi nalang ahaha. Hanggat hindi talaga naeeducate mga pinoy about money, hindi talaga matatapos to. History na talaga to na inuulit ulit 🙁