Protect yourself from holiday investment scams 

Here are three red flags to watch out for

‘Tis the season of joy and celebration. And to ensure that your holidays are worry-free, Metrobank reminds customers to be vigilant of investment scams as you receive your Christmas bonus this December. 

An investment scam is a type of financial fraud that promises high returns to investors without legitimate underlying business activities. Instead of generating profits from legitimate investments, scammers usually use the money from new investors to pay returns to earlier investors, creating the illusion of a successful investment opportunity.

As you grow your hard-earned money, it’s important to keep an eye out for scammers who offer fake investment opportunities. Metrobank shares three red flags you should watch out for to protect yourself against these investment scams during the holiday season:

Unregistered or unlicensed entities

Before going into any investment venture, do due diligence to ensure you are dealing with a verified and legitimate company. You can check a company’s legitimacy by going to the website of regulatory bodies like the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) — if the company claims to be a listed entity — or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) — to check if it is a registered company. 

The SEC also regularly warns the public about companies that are unauthorized or unregistered to solicit investments from individuals (https://www.sec.gov.ph/investors-education-and-information/advisories/#gsc.tab=0).

Promise of big returns in a short amount of time 

Carefully study the investment offers you receive. Always question offers that guarantee big returns in a short amount of time, especially if you are being pressured to pay or give your investible funds immediately. If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Representatives asking for sensitive information

Legitimate institutions will never ask for your bank or credit card details and other sensitive information like passwords and one-time password, to process your investment transaction. As a safety precaution, never share your confidential personal and bank information with anyone.  

With these tips, Metrobank aims to help equip Filipinos with relevant knowledge to help protect themselves from fraudulent transactions. Whenever you receive an invitation to invest, here are 3 fast rules to follow:  

• Stop. Never click an unverified link or button, download a suspicious attachment, or scan a tampered QR code.
• Check. Verify the identity and legitimacy of the sender or caller before responding. Be alert and do not believe everything you are told.
• Think. No matter what, do not share your email address, mobile number, username, passwords, Personal Identification Number (PIN), One-Time Password (OTP), or Card Verification Value (CVV) 3-digit code found at the back of your card with anyone.

Investment options that fit your needs

If you’re looking for secure ways to grow your 13th month bonus, Metrobank has investment opportunities for individuals with different risk appetites—from the conservative, to moderate, to the aggressive investors. 

For those beginning their investment journey, the Bank has online time deposit fit for conservative investors. More advanced investors can explore products like fixed-income securities and unit investment trust funds (UITFs). Moreover, Metrobank’s subsidiaries like AXA offers variable universal life insurance products, while its affiliates such as First Metro Asset Management and First Metro Securities offer investment instruments that allow individuals to diversify their portfolio.

If you’re a savvy investor, you can also get valuable advice, and actionable investment ideas through Metrobank’s Wealth Insights platform.

Metrobank reminds individuals to protect their hard-earned money by only placing investments with trusted financial institutions that are transparent and has a proven track record. Backed by its strong financial performance, a wide range of investment options, and an award-winning team of investment specialists, Metrobank is the ideal partner to grow your funds.

Editor’s Note: This press release is sponsored by Metrobank. It is published by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.