Bitprime

January 26, 2023 ENFORCEMENT AND INVESTOR PROTECTION DEPARTMENT SEC ADVISORY Based on the reports and information gathered by the Commission, individuals or group of persons claiming to represent BITPRIME/BITPRIME COMPUTER SOFTWARE TRADING/ARIANE ESTOLONIO-BITPRIME SOFTWARE OPC are soliciting investments from the public. Verily, the said entity is being represented to the public as DTI-registered with business name BITPRIME COMPUTER SOFTWARE TRADING in favor of one ARIANE MAE AFABLE ESTOLONIO. BITPRIME/BITPRIME COMPUTER SOFTWARE TRADING/ARIANE ESTOLONIO-BITPRIME SOFTWARE OPC represents that it is a cryptocurrency service in the form of cloud mining. The said entity allegedly generates income through cloud-mining investments. The investment from partners will be invested to "Cointrust-mining company" to gain profits. As posted online, BITPRIME/BITPRIME COMPUTER SOFTWARE TRADING/ARIANE ESTOLONIO-BITPRIME SOFTWARE OPC is offering five (5) types of investments to the public ranging from a minimal amount of PHP500 up to PHP100,000 per account with earnings as much as 45% for 15 days . Furthermore, for Team Leaders, (1) a 5% referral income is given for every successful referral, (2) a weekly allowance of PHP2,500 for at least 10 active members with group sales of a minimum of PHP100,000 and (3) royal incentives amounting to 3% of the total weekly sales. Interested individuals may earn by signing up an account at their website: www.bprimeph.com and choose their preferred plan and make an investment. The public is being made aware that an "investment contract," which is a kind of security, exists when there is an investment or placement of money in a common enterprise with a reasonable expectation of profits to be derived from the efforts of others which is prominent in the scheme of BITPRIME/BITPRIME COMPUTER SOFTWARE TRADING/ARIANE ESTOLONIO-BITPRIME SOFTWARE OPC . As such, the Securities Regulation Code (SRC) requires that said offer and sale of securities must be duly registered with the Commission and that the concerned entity and/or its agents should have the appropriate registration and/or license to sell such securities to the public. Based on the Commission's database, ARIANE ESTOLONIO-BITPRIME SOFTWARE OPC , was registered as a One-Person Corporation on 04 August 2022. However, ARIANE ESTOLONIO-BITPRIME SOFTWARE OPC has not secured prior registration and/or license to solicit investments from the Commission prescribed under Section 8 of the Securities Regulation Code (SRC). Further, the scheme employed by BITPRIME/BITPRIME COMPUTER SOFTWARE TRADING/ARIANE ESTOLONIO-BITPRIME SOFTWARE OPC bears the hallmarks of "Ponzi Scheme" where monies from new investors are used in paying "fake profits" to prior investors and is designed mainly to favor its top recruiters and prior risk takers and is detrimental to subsequent members in case of scarcity of new investors. The offering and selling of securities in the form of investment contracts using the "Ponzi Scheme" which is fraudulent and unsustainable, is NOT a registrable security. The Commission will not issue a License to Sell Securities to the Public to persons or entities that are engaged in this business or scheme. In view thereof, the public is hereby advised to STOP INVESTING in the investment scheme being offered by BITPRIME/BITPRIME COMPUTER SOFTWARE TRADING/ARIANE ESTOLONIO-BITPRIME SOFTWARE OPC , and its representatives . Those who act as salesmen, brokers, dealers, agents, representatives, operators, promoters, recruiters, uplines, influencers, endorsers, abettors, and enablers of BITPRIME/BITPRIME COMPUTER SOFTWARE TRADING/ARIANE ESTOLONIO-BITPRIME SOFTWARE OPC , in selling or convincing people to invest in the investment scheme being offered by the said entity including soliciting investments or recruiting investors through the internet may be held criminally liable under Section 28 of the SRC and penalized with a maximum fine of Five Million Pesos (Php5,000,000.00) or imprisonment of Twenty-One (21) years or both pursuant to Section 73 of the SRC (SEC vs. Oudine Santos, G.R. No. 195542, 19 March 2014) . Furthermore, the names of all those involved will be reported to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) so that the appropriate penalties and/or taxes be correspondingly assessed. Should you have any information regarding the operation of BITPRIME/BITPRIME COMPUTER SOFTWARE TRADING/ARIANE ESTOLONIO-BITPRIME SOFTWARE OPC , and its representatives, please send your report through email at [emailprotected] . For the information and guidance of the public. Makati City, January 26, 2023.