WEEKS after I wrote about cryptocurrency and securities regulation and discussed the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) emphasis on investor protection, the commission on September 12 released on its official website an advisory against dealing with nonregistered foreign entities, organizations and corporations.

The issuance of the advisory is in light of the continuous proliferation of online nonregistered foreign businesses conducting and soliciting business in the Philippines. And with the current pandemic, more and more Filipinos rely on these online platforms to conduct economic transactions and thrive with their everyday living expenses, among others.