Property owners urged to report false mail amid allegations of ID card fraud

Identità has advised property owners to report any mail addressed to unknown individuals at their properties to the police, and if foreigners are involved, to the state agency’s compliance unit.

Lawyer Jason Azzopardi recently claimed that around 18,000 ID cards have been issued based on fabricated documents by Identità officials since 2015. This resulted in suspicions of false addresses being given as part of an ID cards scam.

However, Identità noted various reasons for such mail, including tenants not updating addresses or owners failing to submit the De-Registration Form.

Property owners can report these cases to the nearest police station and, if a foreigner is involved, inform Identità’s Compliance Unit.

Owners are reminded to use the De-Registration Form available on Identità’s website to deregister foreign tenants who have vacated the property. Tenants must regularise their residence by submitting a Change of Address form, or risk having their Residence Permit revoked.

From September 1, 2024, lease contracts for residence permit applications must be notarised. Identità said that all applications will be reviewed by various stakeholders to determine approval or rejection, based on the authenticity of the documents.

Additionally, Identità urged service providers to verify client addresses to prevent fraud, stating that the agency is not liable for false information provided to businesses.

Nationalist MP Albert Buttigieg reported suspicions of ID card fraud at his Gżira property after receiving letters addressed to unknown individuals. He plans to file a police report and called for an investigation into the authenticity of ID cards. Similar complaints have emerged from other property owners.

The letters, which were published pertained to Epic, a mobile phone operator. Meanwhile, the company said in a statement: "As with other service providers across industries, Epic implements a vetting process which requires customers to show proof of identity and follows standard industry procedures if such complaints occur."

Last March, two Indian nationals were acquitted of submitting forged lease documents to Identità after being duped by an agent, Anil Kumar Ghanta, who is facing charges in India for related offenses. Identità continues to address such issues to uphold the integrity of Malta’s identity system.