Press Release

On the 20th May, ĠEMMA team will be launching its first Part 1 ebook on Scams and Frauds which aims to increase your knowledge and awareness of potential scams and frauds, thus enabling you to take the necessary action to prevent you from being scammed with the possibility of suffering financial loss.

Through this easy reading of the Little Black book, ĠEMMA team has incorporated 10 commandments that cover most of the various scams and frauds that one might encounter being both traditional-based such as ad-hoc telephone calls as well as more technology-inspired ones which through  the frequent use  of the internet, result in the hacking and stealing of information.

Mr David Spiteri Gingell, the ĠEMMA team leader, expressed the importance of compiling a series of ebooks on scams and frauds –  which concept was first launched by the Australian Competition and Consumer  Commission in 2012 and later it was taken up by both the UK Metropolitian Police as well the Commission of Financial Capability in New Zealand.

He stated that the Little Black Book is directed towards persons who are 16 years and over, the age where they are likely to have access to a credit card for the first time.  The ebook provides useful and practical tips of how a person is to protect himself such as protect his identity, pay online using a secure payments service as well as where one can report in case of any fraud suspicion.  Careful attention was taken in using non technical terms and IT jargon so that the ebook is understandable by the average person.

The ĠEMMA team within the Office of the Permanent Secretary falls under the remit of the Ministry for the Family, Children’s Rights and Social Solidarity.  Mr Mark Musu, the Permanent Secretary, stated that this ebook which ĠEMMA will be launching is another channel adopted by ĠEMMA to increase educational knowledge on money management.

The Little Black Book of Scams and Frauds, the  first of a series of other ebooks that ĠEMMA is launching may be downloaded for free on ĠEMMA website by accessing https://gemma.gov.mt/gemma-e-book-the-little-black-book-of-scams-frauds/. Registration is optional.