MFSA warns public against impersonation scams

The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) has issued an alert regarding the potential impersonation of its officials, involving the circulation of documents, private messages, and emails falsely claiming to originate from the Authority.

The MFSA urges the public to remain vigilant and exercise caution when dealing with unsolicited communications, even if they appear to come from a familiar source.

The following are common indicators that a document or email may be fraudulent:

• Unexpected or out-of-the-ordinary communication from the MFSA or any local authority;
• Use of urgent, threatening, or coercive language demanding payments, personal details, financial information, or prompting recipients to click on suspicious links;
• Low-quality logos or image branding;
• Spelling or grammatical errors;
• References to unlicensed financial service providers;
• Email addresses that do not use the official MFSA domain, ‘@mfsa.mt’, or any other recognised local authority domain;
• Text messages sent via private numbers through messaging applications that claim to be from the MFSA.

If you have any doubts about the authenticity of a communication purportedly from the MFSA, the Authority recommends the following steps:

• Verify if the entity is licensed to provide financial services by checking the MFSA’s official financial services register at the MFSA Financial Services Register;
• Discontinue any communication and refrain from providing personal information or funds until legitimacy is confirmed;
• Contact the MFSA through its official communication channels for verification.

The MFSA reminds the public to only engage in financial transactions with entities authorised by the MFSA or another credible financial services regulator. Special caution is advised when offers of financial services are made via unconventional means, such as phone calls, messaging apps, or social media.