MFT Group's Mica Tan lured wealthy Filipinos with 18% returns in Ponzi scheme

MFT Group of Companies was founded in 2014 by Maria Francesca "Mica" Tan, a millennial CEO who gained prominence through TV appearances on "The Final Pitch" and features in Bloomberg and Tatler. By age 27, Tan was acquiring stakes in healthcare, food, and financial services companies, projecting an image of a young tycoon with a growing portfolio of businesses.

The scheme operated as a purchase order financing model. Tan encouraged friends, acquaintances, and wealthy individuals to loan money to MFT Group, promising guaranteed returns of 12% to 18% over one to five years with monthly interest payments of 1% to 1.5%. Investors received promissory notes and post-dated checks. The minimum investment was P1 million to P5 million, intentionally targeting affluent Filipinos. Associates who recruited cumulative investments of P30 million received travel perks to luxury destinations.

The SEC described the scheme as a Ponzi scheme "since their success and viability are anchored on the additional investments of existing investors and/or the investments of new investors." In 2022, checks began bouncing and investors complained. The SEC issued a cease and desist order in January 2024, made permanent on April 1, 2024, and filed criminal charges on April 22, 2024. The DOJ found sufficient evidence to indict in May 2025 for violations of the Securities Regulation Code, though money laundering charges were dismissed.

Thirty officers were also charged with misrepresentation in audited financial statements from 2018 to 2021, and auditor Isla Lipana & Co. was implicated for allegedly colluding to conceal the company's true financial status. An Interpol red notice was issued in June 2025. As of July 2026, Mica Tan remained abroad but stated she would return to face charges.