San Miguel Corp. (SMC) has warned the public against unscrupulous individuals presenting themselves as “accredited” suppliers with “valid” contracts only to solicit money from interested suppliers.

According to a statement released by the SMC, the company has received reports that in recent months, certain individuals posing as middlemen or representatives of the company have been peddling spurious supply deals supposedly for San Miguel projects in Central and Northern Luzon.

“These scams have been monitored in Bulacan, Tarlac, and Pangasinan, among other provinces,” the statement cited.

Unscrupulous individuals

SMC said these unscrupulous individuals have reportedly solicited money from businesses interested in supplying materials to SMC projects, in exchange for securing supply contracts for various projects.

SMC advised the public that the company and its subsidiaries conduct business exclusively with suppliers accredited by its Corporate Procurement Group.

No payment required

It also stressed that as a matter of policy, suppliers and bidders--including prospective ones seeking accreditation--are never required to make any payment in order to be accredited or participate in any bidding by the San Miguel Group.

The company advises prospective suppliers to avoid unauthorized dealings and potential fraud by directing all questions to its official email, smc_cpgsupport@sanmiguel.com.ph. For added security, this email address will only receive messages or inquiries.

The company stressed it will not respond to questions via this or any other email address, or through social media or text messaging. Potential suppliers are advised to include their phone contact information.