If you believe that you have uncovered a scam or you were the target victim of one, ĠEMMA advises you to report this. Do not let the scammer get away with it. Remember that there are vulnerable people who may not have the knowledge you have and may be at a high risk of being scammed unless the scam is stopped.

The following are entities to whom you may wish to make the report:

Cyber Crime Unit at the Malta Police Force

You can contact the Unit as follows:Online:computer.crime@gov.mt; telephone: +356 2294 2231/2.

In person:  Call or visit any Police District station and lodge a report.  The District Police Officer will request the assistance of a member from the Cyber Crime Unit as required.

Your bank

If you are the victim of a debit or credit card fraud, contact your bank immediately. Do the same if you lose your debit or credit card.

The revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) establishes that if you, as a client of a bank, have lost or had your debit or credit card stolen, and it transpires that a fraudulent transaction has occurred after you notified your bank of the loss of your card, you are only liable to pay a maximum of EUR 50.

It is, however, important to note that you will not be entitled to any refund for losses relating to any unauthorised payment transaction if you have incurred such losses by acting fraudulently or by failing to fulfil your obligations with intent or gross negligence.

Complaints and Conciliation Directorate at the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority

You will find the website of the Complaints and Conciliation Directorate here.  You can contact the centre as follows: online:info@mccaa.org.mt; submission of an online form: mccaa.org.mt/home/complaint; freephone:356 8007 4400; and in person as follows: Mizzi House, National Road, Blata l-Bajda, Gozo: Elizabeth Street, Xewkija, Gozo

ĠEMMA has on 21st June 2021 signed a strategic partnership with the Local Councils Association.  Both ĠEMMA and the eSkills Malta Foundation are working the Association so that come October 2021, monthly public fora are held on scams and fraud in local communities.

Article prepared by ĠEMMA (within the Ministry of Social Justice and Solidarity, the Family and Children’s Rights)

ĠEMMA strongly advises you that you follow these 10 Commandments religiously at all times to protect yourself from scams and fraud:

01	Watch out for scams.   Scammers target you anytime, anywhere, anyhow.
02	Do not respond.   Ignore suspicious emails, letters, house visits, phones calls or SMS messages – press ‘delete’, throw them out, shut the door, or just hang up.
03	Do not agree to an offer straightaway.   Do your research and seek independent advice if it involves significant money, time or commitment, and get the offer in writing
04	Ask yourself who you are really dealing with.   Scammers pose as people or organisations that you know and trust.
05	Do not let scammers push your buttons.   Scammers will play on your emotions to get what they want, including adopting a personal touch. Alternatively, they seek to rush you into making a quick decision before you look into it. Remember there are no guaranteed get-rich-quick schemes!
06	Keep your computer secure.   Always update your firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and buy only from a verified source.
07	Only pay online using a secure payment service.   Look for a URL starting with ‘https’ and a closed padlock symbol.
08	Do not hand over money and information to someone you do not know and trust.   Any request for payment by an unusual method such as wire transfers, reloadable cards, or gift cards that are nearly impossible to reverse or track is a tell-tale sign that it is part of a scam. And if you do hand money … it is rare to recover
09	Protect your identity.   Your personal details are private and invaluable. Keep them that way and away from scammers.
10	If you spot a scam, spread the word.   Tell your family and friends, and report it to: computer.crime@gov.mt.

In addition to these 10 Commandments, keep in mind the following:

• It is NOT always true that companies, businesses and enterprises are always legitimate. Scammers can easily pretend to have approval and registrations when in fact they do not.

• It is NOT always true that all websites are legitimate. It is easy and cheap to set up a website. And an enterprise’s website can be easily copied by scammers who will want to trick you into believing it to be genuine.

• It is NOT always true that scams involve large amounts of money. Sometimes scammers target many people and try to get a small amount of money from each person.

• It is NOT always true that scams are always about money. Some scams are aimed at stealing personal information from you.

Last year, ĠEMMA (www.gemma.gov.mt) and the eSkills Malta Foundation (https://eskills.org.mt) signed a strategic partnership to disseminate knowledge on digital financial capability.  Fraud and scams is such one digital financial capability.  Jointly we have issued 4 e-books on scams and fraud (https://gemma.gov.mt/ebook-download-page/) and Infographics (https://gemma.gov.mt/resources/infographics/) on tips of how to protect yourself with regard to over 30 different scams and frauds. 

ĠEMMA has on 21st June 2021 signed a strategic partnership with the Local Councils Association.  Both ĠEMMA and the eSkills Malta Foundation are working the Association so that come Octover 2021, monthly public fora are held on scams and fraud in local communities.

Article prepared by ĠEMMA (within the Ministry of Social Justice and Solidarity, the Family and Children’s Rights)

Recently we have seen a spate of scams in Malta – including phishing, romance fraud and business email fraud.  News papers have reported that one business lost nearly €90,000 as a result of a business email fraud and over €100,000 have been defrauded from persons scammed by the Maltapost phishing scam.

In summer of last year, ĠEMMA (www.gemma.gov.mt) and the eSkills Malta Foundation (https://eskills.org.mt) signed a strategic partnership to disseminate knowledge on digital financial capability.  Fraud and scams is such one financial capability.  Jointly we have issued 4 e-books on scams and fraud (https://gemma.gov.mt/ebook-download-page/) and Infographics (https://gemma.gov.mt/resources/infographics/) on tips of how to protect yourself with regard to over 30 different scams and frauds.  Both ĠEMMA and the Foundation have been disseminating these over their respective social media channels.

This is the first of 3 articles we are presenting on scams and fraud to make people more aware of what scams and frauds are, basic but important cardinal protection measures one should taken, and what one should do in the event that they realise they are scammed.

Most scams follow the same pattern – understand this pattern and it will be easier to spot. The way a scam works is described here.

The Scammer’s approach:  A scammer will approach you with a story designed to make you believe a lie. S/he targets your emotions and behaviour – a chance to make money, to find a partner, to help somebody in need. Invariably the scammer will dress him/herself as a government official, a company – including branding names you are familiar with, an expert investor, a government official, a lottery officer, a lovely lady.  The scammer will use any one of these approaches:

Email	Still the favoured method. Cheap and a good way to communicate with many persons.
Social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.), Dating sites, Online forum	Social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.), Dating sites, Online forum
Online shopping, classifieds, and auction sites	These are used by scammers to trick you, with initial contact often made through reputable and trusted sites or fake websites that look like the real thin
Phone calls	Calls are made by scammers to homes and businesses in a wide variety of scams, from threatening tax scams to offers of prizes or ‘help’ with computer viruses
SMS	Scammers tend to send a whole range of scams, including competition or prize scams.

The scammer’s tools are designed to get you to lower your defences, build trust in the story and act quickly or irrationally and proceed to the final stage – sending the money or providing personal information.  The scammer’s tools include:

• Creating a sense of urgency so that you will not have the time to think things through and make you react on emotions rather than logic.

• Similarly, using high pressure sales tactics saying it is a limited offer, that prices will rise, or the market will move and the opportunity will be lost.

• Having all the hallmarks of a real business using glossy brochures with technical industry jargon backed up with office fronts, call centres and professional websites.

• Using your personal details to make you believe you have dealt with them before, and make the scam appear legitimate.

• Creating counterfeit and official-looking documents – documents that appear to have government approval or are filled with legal jargon can give a scam an air of authority.

• Similarly, using high pressure sales tactics saying it is a limited offer, that prices will rise or the market will move and the opportunity will be lost.

• Contacting you regularly to build trust and establish a relationship.

Asking for money may be set at the point of contact or after months of careful grooming. Scammers have their preferences for how you send your money. Methods vary: wire transfer, credit / debit card, bank transfer, Bitcoin, etc.

ĠEMMA has on 21st June 2021 signed a strategic partnership with the Local Councils Association.  Both ĠEMMA and the eSkills Malta Foundation are working the Association so that come October 2021, monthly public fora are held on scams and fraud in local communities.

Article prepared by ĠEMMA (within the Ministry of Social Justice and Solidarity, the Family and Children’s Rights)

In addition to providing information, the screens have built-in chargers for mobile phones, electric vehicles and bicycles

The Istrian Development Agency (IDA) has set up three interactive screens in the areas of Pula, Poreč and Rabac in Croatia. The installation of these screens was carried out with the aim of enhancing customer service and boosting tourism.

What do the interactive screens offer?

The three screens have been designed to inform citizens and tourists about transport options as well as what areas have to offer in terms of attractions, sights, beaches, restaurants, hotels, etc. Due to the current epidemiological situation, the screens also provide information on the virus and the current measures which are in force to prevent its spread.

What is more, all interactive screens have built-in side shelves for charging and storing mobile phones, reported the IT engineering company PENTA d.o.o on its website.

The METRO Project

It is important to note that the installation of the interactive screens is part of the METRO project (Maritime Environment-friendly TRanspOrt systems). The aim of this project is to improve the quality, safety, and sustainability in maritime and coastal transport in the cross-border area of Italy and Croatia, reported the Croatian newspaper Glas Istre.

As such, it is not surprising that the interactive screen in Pula is located in the area of the Rijeka pier which is in the vicinity of the border crossing for passengers coming by boat from Italy as well as the railway and bus stations.

The Mayor of Pula, Boris Miletić voiced his satisfaction with the project as he noted that the interactive screens make Pula a smart city with modern infrastructure. Furthermore, he shared that this investment would undoubtedly improve the experience of tourists and thus, promote Pula as a travel destination.

Similarly, the screens in Poreč and Rabac were placed in the bay of Peškera and the Rabac waterfront, respectively. However, it must be noted that they are different from and more advanced than the screen in Pula as they come equipped with a charger for electric vehicles and bicycles. The Mayor of Labin Valter Glavičić and the Mayor of Poreč Loris Peršurić both highlighted that tourists and citizens will greatly benefit from the installation of the screens.

This investment cost just over 300,000 Kuna (46,228 Euros) and the IDA collaborated with PENTA d.o.o, the cities of Pula, Labin and Poreč, local tourist boards as well as port authorities to install the screens.

Article taken from https://www.themayor.eu/en