The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has issued a red notice against Maria Francesca Tan, founder and CEO of MFT Group, following a request from the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in connection with a large-scale investment scam.
The red notice, published on May 25, asks law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest Tan pending extradition or other legal proceedings. Tan faces charges for alleged violations of the Securities Regulation Code and the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
An arrest warrant was previously issued by the Taguig City Regional Trial Court, while a Lipa City court issued another warrant in March 2025 for syndicated estafa, with no bail recommended.
The case originated from a complaint filed by the SEC in April 2024 against MFT Group and Foundry Ventures I Inc. for allegedly soliciting investments illegally. Prosecutors indicted Tan and other company officers in May 2025.
According to the SEC, MFT Group—later renamed Foundry Ventures—promised investors returns of 12% to 18%, claiming the funds would finance purchase orders for its subsidiaries' projects. Prosecutors allege the scheme operated as a Ponzi scam, using new investors' money to pay returns to earlier investors.