The Malta Financial Services Authority (“MFSA” or “the Authority”) has become aware of emails, which appear to be scam emails, targeting persons in Malta. An individual, going by the name of Mr Andrew Yaku and claiming to work in the financial services industry outside of Malta, is contacting prospective clients via email stating to represent a high profile client “who has some funds he wants to invest outside his home country. There is need to move the funds out from the present location through bank using an individual who can invest it in a lucrative business venture.”
The MFSA wishes to caution the public against replying to such emails and to refrain from providing personal details as information available to the MFSA suggests that these emails are likely to be a scheme of dubious nature with a high risk of loss of money. Furthermore, the public should therefore refrain from undertaking any business or transactions with the above-mentioned individual.
The MFSA strongly advises investors and consumers of financial services that prior to making any investment or entering into any financial services transaction they should make sure that the entity with whom the investment or transaction is being made is authorised to provide such services by the MFSA or another financial services regulatory authority as applicable.
For more information on scam emails please refer to the Scam Detection Guidelines issued by the MFSA at https://www.mfsa.mt/consumers/scams-warnings/typical-scams/. If you are a victim of any type of financial scam or think you might be dealing with an unauthorised entity, first of all stop all transactions with the company and contact the Authority at https://www.mfsa.mt/about-us/contact/ as soon as a suspicion arises.
Verżjoni bil-Malti
L-Awtorità għas-Servizzi Finanzjarji ta’ Malta (“MFSA” jew “l-Awtorità”) ġiet infurmata b’emails, li jidhru li huma emails qarrieqa, immirati lejn persuni f’Malta. Individwu, bl-isem tas-Sur Andrew Yaku u li jiddikjara li jaħdem fl-industrija tas-servizzi finanzjarji barra minn Malta, qed jikkuntattja lil klijenti prospettivi permezz tal-email, fejn jiddikjara li jirrapreżenta klijent bi profil għoli “who has some funds he wants to invest outside his home country. There is need to move the funds out from the present location through bank using an individual who can invest it in a lucrative business venture.”
L-MFSA tixtieq li twissi lill-pubbliku biex ma jirrispondix għal tali emails, u biex iżomm lura milli jipprovdi dettalji personali minħabba li informazzjoni li għandha l-MFSA tissuġġerixxi li dawn l-emails x’aktarx li huma parti minn skema ta’ natura dubjuża b’riskju għoli ta’ telf ta’ flus. Barra minn dan, il-pubbliku għalhekk għandu jżomm lura milli jidħol f’xi negozju jew transazzjonijiet mal-individwu msemmi hawn fuq.
L-MFSA tirrakkomanda bil-qawwa lill-investituri u lill-konsumaturi ta’ servizzi finanzjarji li qabel ma jagħmlu kwalunkwe investiment jew jidħlu f’xi tranżazzjoni ta’ servizzi finanzjarji għandhom ikunu żguri li l-entità li magħha qed jagħmlu l-investiment jew is-servizz hija awtorizzata li tipprovdi dawn is-servizzi mill-MFSA jew minn xi awtorità regolatorja oħra ta’ servizzi finanzjarji, kif japplika.
Għal aktar informazzjoni dwar emails qarrieqa jekk jogħġbok irreferi għal-Linji Gwida dwar id-Detezzjoni ta’ Qerq maħruġa mill-MFSA fuq https://www.mfsa.mt/consumers/scams-warnings/typical-scams/. Jekk inti vittma ta’ xi attività finanzjarja qarrieqa jew taħseb li jista’ jkun qed titratta ma’ entità mhux awtorizzata, l-ewwel nett waqqaf minnufih kull transazzjoni mal-kumpanija u kkuntattja lill-MFSA fuq https://www.mfsa.mt/about-us/contact/ hekk kif ikollok l-anqas suspett.
