The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) has established a new Public-Private Partnership (PPP) aimed at strengthening the detection, prevention and disruption of financial fraud through enhanced national coordination.
Bringing together key public authorities and leading financial institutions, the Partnership marks a significant step forward in Malta’s efforts to address increasingly sophisticated fraud risks affecting consumers and the financial system.
Permanent Members of the Partnership 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. In its first term of operations the Non-Permanent Members from the private sector will include the Malta Bankers’ Association and local credit institutions offering services to retail clients.
The first official meeting of the Partnership took place on 8 April 2026 at the MFSA’s premises.
The initiative, which is being led by the MFSA’s Financial Crime Compliance function establishes a structured framework for cooperation between public and private stakeholders, enabling the systematic sharing of insights into fraud typologies, emerging trends, and sectoral vulnerabilities. Through this coordinated approach, the Partnership aims to enhance the collective ability to identify, assess and manage fraud-related risks.
MFSA Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Farrugia said: “This Public-Private Partnership represents an important milestone in strengthening Malta’s collective response to financial fraud. By bringing together public authorities and industry participants under a structured framework, we are creating the conditions for more effective information-sharing, earlier identification of emerging threats, and a more coordinated national effort to protect consumers and safeguard the integrity of our financial system.”
The Partnership will initially focus on consumer retail payment fraud, including unauthorised payment transactions and cases where consumers are manipulated into making payments to fraudsters. This reflects current trends observed both locally and at European level.
Structured around the following key pillars: information sharing, enhanced cooperation and coordination, guidance and outreach, policy development and targeted supervisory efforts, the Partnership will serve as a platform for ongoing dialogue, analysis and action. Members will contribute insights based on operational experience, while maintaining strict safeguards around confidentiality and data protection.
As part of its work, the Partnership is expected to produce a public Guidance Paper aimed at raising awareness and strengthening consumer protection. It will also support awareness initiatives, typology workshops and policy discussions to improve the overall resilience of Malta’s financial system against fraud.
