Malta Financial Services Authority establishes public-private partnership to coordinate fraud detection and prevention with an initial focus on retail payment fraud

The Malta Financial Services Authority has established a new Public-Private Partnership to strengthen the detection, prevention and disruption of financial fraud through enhanced national coordination between public authorities and financial institutions. The framework is intended to enable systematic sharing of insights on fraud typologies, emerging trends and sector vulnerabilities, with an initial focus on consumer retail payment fraud, including unauthorised payment transactions and cases where consumers are manipulated into making payments to fraudsters. Permanent members include the MFSA, the Malta Police Force, the Office of the Arbiter for Financial Services, the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit and the Central Bank of Malta. For its first term, non-permanent private sector members include the Malta Bankers’ Association and local credit institutions offering services to retail clients. Led by the MFSA’s Financial Crime Compliance function, the Partnership is structured around information sharing, enhanced cooperation and coordination, guidance and outreach, policy development and targeted supervisory efforts, with confidentiality and data protection safeguards. The first official meeting took place on 8 April 2026 at the MFSA’s premises. The Partnership is expected to produce a public guidance paper and to support awareness initiatives, typology workshops and policy discussions.