Daven Tamayo

Interpol issues red notice vs Mica Tan over fraud—SEC

Article (news)

Arthur Fuentes

ABS-CBN News

MANILA - The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has issued a red notice against a finance executive accused of orchestrating a large-scale fraudulent investment scheme, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced on Thursday.The notice against Maria Francesca &quot;Mica&quot; Tan, chief executive of the MFT Group of Companies, acts as an international request to locate and provisionally arrest her pending extradition, the SEC said.Tan faces multiple arrest warrants in the Philippines, including a no-bail warrant for syndicated estafa issued by a Lipa City court in March 2025. She is also wanted by a court in Taguig City for violating the country&#x27;s Securities Regulation Code, the SEC said.According to the securities regulator, the MFT Group, which later transitioned to Foundry Ventures, lured Filipinos into its investment scheme by promising returns ranging from 12 percent to 18 percent of the amount invested.    The regulatory crackdown began in April 2024 when the SEC filed a criminal complaint against the MFT Group and Foundry Ventures I, Inc. State prosecutors later indicted Tan and her associates in May 2025.According to prosecutors, the entities lured victims with promises of guaranteed returns ranging from &quot;12 percent to 18 percent of the amount invested,&quot; claiming the capital would fund subsidiary projects.However, authorities revealed the operation was built on deception. The prosecution said the investment-taking activity &quot;is similar to a Ponzi scheme, a type of investment fraud that uses the contributions of new investors as payment for returns to existing investors.&quot;Philippine law strictly prohibits selling or offering securities without SEC registration, an offense Tan is accused of bypassing to run the multi-million dollar fraud.