NBI PROBING 'INVESTMENT SCAM' IN NEGROS ORIENTAL
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is now looking into an alleged investment fraud in Negros Oriental involving a church pastor.
The pastor, Agustin G. Fontillas Jr., is the subject of complaints from at least 200 people after he allegedly ran off with some ₱100 million of their money that they invested with his firm AGF Trading.
Victims come from all over Negros Oriental, notably in Dumaguete City, Valencia, Tanjay City, Bais City, and Sibulan, NBI Dumaguete Supervising Agent Reynaldo Villordon said.
Police records show that in Dumaguete City alone, 43 people filed complaints against AGF Trading after investing a total of more than ₱9.2 million.
Individual investments range from ₱100,000 to up ₱3 million, he added.
The victims were mainly attracted with AGF's "Buy and Earn" program, which allegedly promised them to earn up to twice the amount they invested.
Villordon described the system as a "simplified version of the Ponzi scheme."
A victim from Dumaguete City told Yes The Best 106.3 that he invested about ₱200,000 in February 2020 and March 2021 in the hopes of getting up to ₱400,000 a month after.
But a year on since he first invested his money, he said he has not received a single centavo of the amount he was promised.
The victim further revealed that Fontillas allegedly promised to pay back their investments last Monday, August 16, 2021.
But when barangay authorities went to Fontillas' house in Valencia, the pastor was nowhere to be found.
The victim also said that the pastor couldn't be contacted by phone or via Messenger, allegedly even blocking some of them on Facebook.
This prompted the victims to report the incident to police.
For his part, Villordon said NBI is still checking if AGF Trading is registered with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
He also urged those involved in the alleged investment scam to file a complaint at the NBI Dumaguete Office at the Capitol Area, or call (035) 225 0118.
#NewsBite | via Raffy Cabristante, news director
* * *
Affordable Wordpress website host at
www.greengeeks.com Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=123965.0
