A "guaranteed 20% a month" investment just got a scam warning. Here's how to spot one.

Originally reported as: “SEC issues advisory against unregistered investment scheme offering unsustainable returns”

The Securities and Exchange Commission issued a public advisory warning Filipinos against an online investment scheme promising members a guaranteed 15 to 20 percent return every month, a payout no legitimate investment can consistently deliver. The SEC said the group is not registered to solicit investments from the public, meaning it has never filed the paperwork that lets regulators check whether the business is real or the money is safe. Advisories like this are usually issued after complaints pile up or investigators spot a pattern that looks like a Ponzi scheme, where early investors are paid with money from newer recruits rather than actual profit. The commission urged anyone who has already put money in to stop recruiting others and consult a lawyer, since recovering funds from an unregistered scheme is rarely straightforward. Stories like this repeat often, just with a new app, a new name, and the same script.