Photo credit: BDO

A public disagreement has emerged between BDO Unibank and social media personality Maria Jamila Cristiana Gonzales Berenguer over a series of alleged unauthorized transactions that reportedly wiped out her bank account. Both sides have released official statements presenting starkly different accounts of the incident.

The controversy began when Berenguer, known online as Jana&Alonzo, posted a series of viral videos alleging a system compromise and insider involvement at BDO. She claimed to have fallen victim to a fraudulent scheme that drained her hard-earned savings.

In an official statement released on September 18, BDO Unibank denied these claims, calling them baseless. The bank’s statement pointed to an interview in which Berenguer herself admitted her mobile device was in the hands of other people at some point in time. BDO's investigation, the statement said, showed that a password reset and a new device registration were completed on September 14, a day before the reported transactions. These actions, BDO insisted, were validated by an OTP sent to the client’s registered device. The bank also noted that login and transaction alerts were sent to Berenguer, with transaction alerts arriving six hours before she reported the issue to the BDO Hotline.

BDO reiterated that its systems remain secure, with no evidence of a breach or insider involvement. The bank's statement concluded with a reminder to clients that security controls "will not work if clients ignore warning signs and messages sent by the bank through official channels."

In response, Berenguer’s management company, TalentMarketers, issued a counter-statement, accusing BDO of gaslighting and unfairly shifting blame to the client. The company adamantly denied that Berenguer shared her password or OTP, or clicked any suspicious links, stating she exercised due diligence in safeguarding her personal banking information. TalentMarketers highlighted that Berenguer is not an isolated case, claiming that many clients have reported similar experiences, which suggests a broader systemic issue.

The statement from TalentMarketers also included a quote from Berenguer, who expressed her devastation. "I worked hard for every peso I saved, and to see it vanish in an instant was devastating," she said. "I hope no other Filipino has to go through the same fear and pain I experienced."

TalentMarketers is demanding more transparency and accountability from BDO, emphasizing that the bank's assurance of returning fraudulent funds must be consistent and transparent to build public trust.

The conflicting narratives have sparked a public debate, raising questions about the security of digital banking and the responsibilities of both financial institutions and their clients in an increasingly complex digital landscape.