The 10 Commandments to protect yourself against scams and fraud

• July 26, 2021
• admin

Article by Ġemma published in the Sunday Times of Malta on 25.07.2021

Recently we have seen a spate of scams in Malta – including phishing, romance fraud and business email fraud. Last year, ĠEMMA and the eSkills Malta Foundation signed a strategic partnership to disseminate knowledge on digital financial capability. Fraud and scams are 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 on how to protect yourself with regard to over 30 different scams and frauds.

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

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

• It is NOT always true that companies, businesses and enterprises are always legitimate.
• It is NOT always true that all websites are legitimate. It is quite easy and cheap to set up a website. 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 many people.
• It is NOT always true that scams are always about money. Some scams are aimed at stealing personal information about you.

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