FACT-CHECK: Tycoon Lance Gokongwei did not say he could turn thousands into millions ‘instantly’

CLAIM: Lance Gokongwei told Anthony Taberna he could turn P15,000 to a million by investing in a cryptocurrency.

RATING: FALSE

A series of Facebook ads claimed that businessman Lance Gokongwei had revealed in an interview a way to turn an individual’s P15,000 to millions of pesos in a short time.

The ads falsely represented Gokongwei as promoting an elaborate cryptocurrency scam by using stills of his interview with broadcaster Anthony Taberna in 2023.

It also featured an edited screenshot of their supposed private conversation and a Facebook post where Gokongwei said “he cannot hide the truth” and that the “people need to know,” supposedly pertaining to the possibility of earning big money.

The advertisement links to a fake news story titled: “The Central Bank Sues Lance Gokongwei over statements he made on live television,” which has been taken down as of writing.

On Aug. 19, the Gokongwei Group issued an advisory on Facebook warning the public to “be vigilant” against cryptocurrency scams using the Gokongwei name and identity.

Other business giants, such as the Aboitiz Group (led by Sabin Aboitiz) and Ayala Corporation (led by Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala), have issued similar warnings.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas had issued a warning against AI-manipulated content on social media to persuade the public to buy into scams.

Taberna has also condemned the use of his interview to lure people into scams. Hurt Allauigan

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