Vico Sotto Denies Pasig LGU Links to Pinagbuhatan Crypto Scheme, Warns Public of Scam

 Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto has strongly denied any local government involvement in an alleged cryptocurrency scheme operating in Centennial 2, Barangay Pinagbuhatan, warning residents against a group falsely claiming to represent city hall.

The local government unit (LGU) issued an official alert on May 17, 2026, after receiving reports that individuals were going door-to-door in the area to solicit personal data.

High-Pressure Tactics Exposed

According to the city's advisory via facebook post, the operators of the scheme used deceptive community-level tactics to target local households:

Falsifying Identity: Fraudsters explicitly introduced themselves as official Pasig LGU staff.

Harvesting Private Data: The group actively collected sensitive personal information from residents.

Offering Fake Incentives: Targets were promised free digital currency or crypto wallet sign-ups in exchange for their data.

Mayor Sotto clarified that Pasig City Hall does not sponsor, endorse, or manage any cryptocurrency assets, digital coins, or virtual wallet registration programs.

Security Directives Issued

The LGU and local authorities have laid out immediate security measures to protect the public from further financial and identity risks:

Verify Official Credentials: Residents must demand valid government IDs from anyone claiming to represent the city.

Protect Sensitive Data: Avoid submitting physical forms or digital data to unverified entities.

Refuse Capital Investments: The public is urged to reject financial pitches from companies lacking proper regulatory permits from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Active Investigation Underway

The Pasig City Government is currently coordinating with law enforcement to identify and apprehend the individuals behind the operation.

Authorities urge anyone who interacted with these individuals to immediately send reports to the official Ugnayan sa Pasig platform or flag nearby Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel.