Unregistered platform seen targeting jobseekers with an “earn-to-pay” setup.
A fake website is posing as the grocery chain Shopwise and extorting money from jobseekers, government regulators warned.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) flagged the website shopwise.work, operating under the name Shopwise Online Work Platform, for fraudulent hiring and investment practices.
The Shopwise.work trap
The site, operating under the domain shopwise.work, poses as Shopwise, a major retailer owned by Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc., which is registered with the SEC.
The impostor site claims to hire for Shopwise but requires recruits to invest ₱119 upon signing up for the platform. The website then assigns five tasks for recruits to accomplish, which supposedly yield ₱320 to ₱650 in earnings.
However, recruits reported that they could not withdraw their earnings from the website. Instead, they are encouraged to invest more to access their supposed wages.
The hallmarks of a Ponzi scheme
The SEC warned that such arrangements are a hallmark of scam investments. Uncommon website domains such as .work can also be a red flag. The agency also noted that Shopwise Online Work Platform is not authorized to receive investments from the public.
The regulator urged the public not to transact with the website and to stay vigilant against online job and investment schemes that use familiar brand names to appear legitimate.
Don’t pay for a job that doesn’t exist. The SEC has exposed a Shopwise copycat website targeting Filipinos with fake tasks and ‘withdrawal fees.’
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How to verify an online job offer
Check the URL carefully. Major brands almost always use .com or .com.ph. Be wary of domains like .work, .xyz, or .online.
Verify the SEC Registration. If the platform asks for any amount of money (even a security deposit), check the SEC’s list of authorized investment entities. If they aren't there, walk away.
Search for official channels. Visit the official Facebook page or website of the company (e.g., the verified Shopwise or Robinsons Retail pages). They often have "Scam Alerts" pinned to the top of their feed to warn about specific copycats.
Use a Whois lookup tool online to see when a website was created. If a major work platform was only registered a few weeks ago, it is almost certainly a scam.
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