Some 20 Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong who claimed the fell victim to Emgoldex investment scheme on Feb. 21 met with officials from the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) to raise their complaints in a report by Hongkong News.
They were met by Vice Consul Alex Vallespin, officer-incharge of the Assistance to National Section- Philippine Consulate General (PCG), and Attache Hermogenes Cayabyab Jr, and, in the meeting at the PCG, confronted two women who allegedly received the “investment” money for Emgoldex and its affiliates Global Intergold and Prosperous Infinite Philippines Holdings Corp.
MJ and Evelyn were reportedly two of the three women who received the investment. A third one, Rosalie, was not present in the meeting.
The Filipina victims claimed they paid P36,000 ($6,675) for solo investment accounts and HK$1,335 for each of five investors availing of shared accounts.
Sworn affidavits, Vallespin told Hong Kong News, to be executed by the women will also be filed and forwarded to the Department of Foreign Affairs office in Manila.
Vallespin reiterated the reminder to Filipinos in Hong Kong that if offers are advertised without tangible products and involve recruitment of other people before recouping investments, they are already involved in a pyramiding activity.
MJ, who also works for a Chinese family as a domestic helper, pledged she will return the money of those “not encoded/activated” yet and pay them out of her own wages. However, MJ cannot refund those whose payments have been recorded as, she said, their money was already with the “Germany-based company.”
Her statement elicited angry response from the women. Without any receipt, none of them were able to get any proof their payments have been recorded.
“Pero ikaw ang nakinabang kahit na-encode na,” said one of the women.
“Ngayon, may mga pruweba po na um-exit nga iyong isa pero hindi niya nakuha ang pera na reward niya, na-withdraw ng iba,” said another.
Those who are bound to receive back their money from MJ may have to wait for years before they’ll get a full refund. When MJ refused to answer if she has other sources of income, some of the women cited her as one who bragged of getting a P2 million bonus as she owned 13 Emgoldex investment accounts. The women also claimed she was able to buy a car and a water refilling business in the Philippines.
As the women sought resolution to the issue, Vallespin urged the complainants to refrain from further recruiting others.
“Sabi ko nga sa inyo, kikita kayo dahil may maloloko sa ilalim ninyo at sila naman ang kawawa. So kung sinasabihan kayo na mag-recruit kayo, mag-rerecruit pa ba kayo?” Vallespin said.
While most have agreed to stop recruiting, one of them questioned, “wakit sa ibang grupo tuloy-tuloy pa rin sila? May binibigay pa ring pera.”
The Securities and Exchange Commission in Manila has sued Emgoldex, and Global Intergold, and Prosperous Infinite for allegedly selling unregistered securities to the public without a license, or violating Section 8 and 28 of the Securities and Regulation Code (SRC).
In its previous posts on social media, Emgoldex Philippines under its “Pinoy Style Patak Patak”, a P1,000 investment will earn profits between P5,000 and P10,000 and an investment P35,000 promises interest of between P180,000 and P360,000.
A video related to Emgoldex / not related to story above.