GEMMA team launches first ebook on scams and fraud

This week, the ĠEMMA team launched its first Part 1 ebook on scams and fraud, which aims to increase the public’s knowledge and awareness of potential scams and fraud, thus enabling everyone to take the necessary action to prevent them 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.

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 said 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 people can protect themselves - such as protecting identity, pay online using a secure payments service as well as where one can report any suspected case of fraud. 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.  Mark Musu, the Permanent Secretary, said that this ebook which ĠEMMA launched 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. Registration is optional. ĠEMMA will be holding a Webinar of this ebook on 30 June 2020.  Details will be announced closer to the day.