Ask these questions in writing

Before you send any money to an 'AI trading bot' offer, put a short list of questions to the promoter. The answers, or the refusal to answer, are information. Keep everything in writing, because a vague or hurried answer is itself a signal. These questions are not accusations; they are due diligence.

The exact legal name

Ask: 'What is the exact legal name of the company that will receive my deposit?' Do not accept a brand name, a bot name, or a channel name. The legal name is what appears in the company's registration and in the central bank's list. If the promoter cannot give it, that is a red flag.

A legitimate company will state its legal name clearly. The promoter may also give a brand name, but the legal name is the key. Write it down exactly as given, then check it against the central bank's list of virtual asset service providers.

In whose name is the receiving account or wallet?

Ask: 'In whose name is the receiving account or wallet held?' The answer should match the legal name of the company. If it is a personal name, a wallet address, or a third-party payment account, you now know who is actually receiving the money. That may not be the company at all.

This question is often avoided. A promoter may say 'just send it to this GCash number' or 'use this wallet address'. That is an answer, but it tells you the recipient is not a named company. You are then sending money to an individual or an anonymous address.

Will withdrawals go back through the same route?

Ask: 'Will withdrawals go back through the same route I used to deposit?' A legitimate company will have a clear withdrawal process, usually returning funds to the same account or wallet. If the promoter says withdrawals go to a different account, or requires you to deposit more before withdrawing, that is a warning.

The withdrawal route matters because it shows who controls the money. If the deposit went to a company but withdrawals come from a personal account, the money trail is broken. Ask for the withdrawal policy in writing before you deposit.

What happens if you stop answering?

Ask: 'If you stop answering, what happens to my money? Who do I contact?' A legitimate company has a customer service channel and a complaints process. A promoter who only exists in a Telegram group may have no answer. The question forces the promoter to name a fallback.

If the answer is 'don't worry, I'll always be here', that is not an answer. You need a named company with a physical address and a regulator. If the promoter cannot name one, you are relying on a person who can disappear.

Where can the company be found on the central bank's list?

Ask: 'Where can the company be found in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas list of virtual asset service providers?' The promoter should be able to point to the entry, or at least confirm that the company is listed. If the promoter says it is not necessary, or that the company is 'registered somewhere else', that is a signal.

The central bank's list is the reference for virtual asset service providers in the Philippines. If the company is not on it, it may still be legitimate but not licensed here. The reader must decide what that means. The question is about transparency.

What to screenshot and keep

Keep every message, every advertisement, and every answer. Screenshot the offer, the promoter's profile, the payment instructions, and any promises made. These are evidence if something goes wrong. Do not delete chats, even if the promoter asks you to.

Also keep records of any deposits: the reference number, the amount, the date, and the receiving account or wallet. These details are needed if you report to a bank, a regulator, or law enforcement. A vague or hurried answer is information; so is a deleted message.

Ask what the money becomes the moment it leaves your account

The deposit does not stay as pesos in a labelled drawer. The receiving company may convert it to a stablecoin, a token, or a balance inside an app that only the promoter can see. The conversion point matters because it determines which set of rules applies to the next step. A transfer to a listed virtual asset service provider is not the same as a transfer to a wallet address controlled by an unknown person.

When the money becomes crypto, the protections change. The central bank's list covers companies that exchange or transfer virtual assets, but it does not follow the token after the exchange. The reader should ask the promoter to name the exact asset the deposit becomes and the wallet or account that holds it after conversion. A vague answer means the money trail stops at the door.

The conversion also creates a new cost layer. Spreads and network fees can be taken before any trading begins, and the bot's reported performance usually ignores those deductions. Ask whether the conversion happens at the listed company or at a separate exchange, and who pays the spread. If the answer is 'the platform handles it', the reader has learned nothing about the actual custodian.

Ask whether the company can freeze or delay a withdrawal on its own

A listed provider must follow anti-money laundering rules, which can include freezing assets when a transaction looks suspicious. But a bot promoter may also impose its own withdrawal conditions, such as a minimum holding period, a fee schedule, or a requirement to reach a certain profit level before any payout. Those conditions are not in the central bank's list.

The reader should request the full withdrawal policy before depositing. Ask what happens if the reader requests a withdrawal the day after the deposit, and what happens if the request is made during a 'trading cycle'. Some arrangements lock funds for a fixed period, and the lock is often buried in a terms page the reader never sees.

A delay is not automatically a red flag, but the reason for the delay matters. A listed company may take time to process a withdrawal because of compliance checks. A bot promoter may take time because it does not have the money on hand. Put the question in writing and keep the answer. If the answer changes later, the written version is the reader's evidence.

Ask who pays if the bot sends money to the wrong address

A bot that trades automatically can also withdraw automatically, and a mistake in the withdrawal address is usually irreversible. The central bank's list does not assign liability for operational errors. The reader should ask the promoter who bears the loss if the bot sends funds to a wrong or blacklisted address.

The answer will reveal whether the arrangement has any operational safeguards. A listed provider may have insurance or a reserve for errors, but that is not guaranteed by the listing. A promoter who says 'the bot is tested' has not answered the question. The reader wants to know the accountable party, not the software's track record.

This question also exposes whether the bot has any human oversight. If the promoter claims the bot cannot make mistakes, the reader should walk away. Software fails, networks congest, and addresses get mistyped. A responsible answer names the person or department that reviews withdrawals before they are broadcast.

Ask for the company's registration number and check it against the central bank's list

The legal name is not enough. Many companies use similar names, and a promoter can invent a name that sounds like a listed entity. The central bank's list includes a registration number or a licence identifier for each active provider. The reader should ask for that number and match it exactly to the entry on the central bank's page.

A promoter who cannot produce the number may be using a name without permission. A listed company's name can be borrowed by a scam operation, and the real company may know nothing about the bot. The registration number is the link between the promoter's claim and the regulator's record.

The central bank's list is updated, and the status of a company can change. A provider that was active when the reader first checked may be suspended later. The reader should confirm the number on the day of the deposit, not rely on a screenshot from a week earlier. The official page is the only source that counts.

Ask what happens to the deposit if the company stops operating

A listed provider can go out of business, lose its registration, or be taken over. The central bank's list does not protect the reader's balance in that event. The reader should ask the promoter what happens to customer funds if the company ceases operations or is suspended by the regulator.

The answer will show whether the reader's money is segregated from the company's own funds. A company that holds customer assets in separate accounts may return them through a liquidation process. A company that mixes funds may leave the reader as an unsecured creditor, waiting behind banks and employees.

No one can promise that a failed company will return every peso, but a credible answer will describe the legal structure. If the promoter says 'that won't happen', the reader has learned that the promoter is not serious about risk. The question is not about pessimism; it is about knowing the worst case before it happens.

Ask where the deposit lands before you fund anything

The first question should be about the receiving account, not the bot. A promoter may describe a bot that trades automatically, but the deposit instruction reveals who actually takes custody. If the account name does not match the legal entity the promoter claims to represent, the money trail is already broken. This is the moment to stop and ask for written confirmation of the exact legal name that will appear on the deposit receipt.

Many pitches route deposits through a personal e-wallet or a remittance center. That is a red flag because personal accounts are not registered virtual asset service providers. A licensed exchange or broker will use a corporate account in its own registered name. If the promoter says the money goes to a staff member or an agent, the central bank's list cannot help because the listed entity is not the one receiving funds.

Ask the promoter to state in writing where the deposit will land and in whose name the account is held. Then compare that name with the central bank's list of virtual asset service providers. A match is a starting point, not a guarantee. A mismatch means the bot and the listed company are different parties, and the deposit is going outside any regulated path.

Request the withdrawal route before the first peso moves

Withdrawal is where most failures appear. A pitch may promise easy profits, but the withdrawal process often requires another deposit for taxes, fees, or verification. Those requests are a sign that the original deposit was not held by a listed company. Licensed providers do not ask for additional deposits to release funds; they deduct fees from the balance or charge them upfront in a clear schedule.

Ask the promoter to describe the exact withdrawal route in writing. Will the money return to the same account or wallet used for the deposit, or to a different one? If the route changes, the provider is no longer the same party. A listed company must follow anti-money laundering rules and will keep a consistent record of the customer's identity. A bot cannot do that because it is not an entity.

The central bank's list shows which companies may exchange or transfer virtual assets. It does not promise that withdrawals will be processed. A promoter who cannot answer the withdrawal question in writing is revealing that the bot's operator has not thought through the regulated path. Ask for the withdrawal process in writing and keep the answer. If the answer is vague, do not deposit.