NBI nabs alleged scammers who promised a 55% return on investment

Two suspected investment scammers connected with FMD Logistics Trucking Corporation, which promises as much as 55% returns on investments, were apprehended by operatives in Quezon City.

The suspects were apprehended during a National Bureau of Investigation’s Special Task Force (NBI-TSF) operation in which two prospective investors were looking to park their funds in the company.

The firm reportedly promises 55% returns in six months, with initial investments of P11,000 to P315,000.

“Kunyari mag-i-invest ka ng P23,000, ‘yung P23,000 mo kikita every month ng P1,400. Tapos after six months, babalik ‘yung P23,000 mo ang ‘yung last payout mo na P1,400, kaya talagang nahikayat kami kasi ang laki sobra,” one of the investors said in a report on GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday.

(For example, you invest P23,000, that will gain P1,400 monthly. After six months, you get your P23,000 back and your last payout of P1,400. We were enticed by the big gains.)

According to the NBI, there were no official documents that indicated that the firm operated as a legitimate trucking company.

“May mga trucks po silang ipinakikita. Wala pong ganon, so eto po ay ine-entice lang po nila na kunyari may mga trucks sila at mga business proposal sila na sinasabi, pero wala pong ebidensya tayong nakita na totoo ‘yun,” NBI-STF Chief Bernard Dela Cruz said in the same report.

(They show their supposed trucks and business proposals, but these are just to entice investors. There is no evidence to prove these claims.0

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in September had flagged FMD Logistics Trucking Corp. and FMD Logistics International Corp., as well as the officials John Edward Obatay Vitorio, Mark Anthony Ballesteros, and Ronel Joven Lapira, for engaging in investment-taking activities without the proper licenses.

“‘Pag isinara nila ang isang kompanya, bubuo uli sila ng isang kompanya na pare-pareho naman ang may-ari. Sila sila lang naman po,” NBI’s Dela Cruz said.

(If one of the companies closes, they form a new one with the same owners.)

For his part, one of the suspects said he did not know that the firm was operating a scam.

“Hindi ko naisip na scam, kasi po lahat naman po ng kliyente namin nababayaran ‘yung mga monthly nila,” Sean Mari Pili said in the same report.

(I did not think that it is a scam because all our clients receive their monthly payouts.)

— Jon Viktor Cabuenas/DVM, GMA News