At least two people licensed by the Malta Tourism Authority to host foreign language students in their homes have been targeted by a scam involving fraudulent bank drafts worth thousands of euros in recent weeks.
After losing her job last January and with months to go before the peak tourist season, Louise Spiteri was pleasantly surprised to be e-mailed on March 20 by someone claiming to be 'Jessica Gardner'. The sender said she was a senior accountant working for the Shell oil company in London looking to rent holiday accommodation in Malta.
'Jessica' said she would be visiting Malta on a two-week holiday with her husband from April 3 to April 17. She told Ms Spiteri in the initial e-mail that she found her details in the MTA directory and enquired about the cost of two people staying with her in Iklin for 14 nights, breakfast included.
"I was delighted because normally we only have students in the summer. Since I had lost my job, it seemed a good way to make some money out of season," Ms Spiteri, 45, told The Sunday Times.
In a series of e-mails over the next 24 hours, Ms Spiteri and 'Jessica' agreed on a price of €420 for 14 nights' accommodation for two people.
'Jessica' then informed Ms Spiteri that Shell would pay for her flights, accommodation and holiday expenses, and payment would be posted to Ms Spiteri in the form of a bank draft from Shell's 'head office'.
On March 29, Ms Spiteri received letter bearing the Shell logo and purportedly from Shell's director of finance in Los Angeles. Enclosed with the letter was what appeared to be an HSBC bank draft for $5,900 to cover 'Jessica's' "accommodation, flights and living expenses".
Ms Spiteri e-mailed 'Jessica' to say she had received the draft. The 'woman replied the next day saying her father had had a triple bypass operation - a well-known tactic used by fraudsters to gain trust and sympathy from their victims - and she urged Ms Spiteri to forward the funds immediately to 'Jessica's' travel agent via Western Union, after deducting the €420 for rent, so she could pay her flights and father's hospital bills.
When Ms Spiteri was told by HSBC in Balzan that the draft would take 28 days clear, she became suspicious and contacted 'Jessica' again to inform her she could not afford to transfer such a large balance before the cheque had cleared. 'Jessica' never got back to her.
When The Sunday Times checked the address that 'Jessica' gave for her 'travel agent', it turned out to be a pie shop in Notting Hill. The address 'Jessica' gave for her own residence turned out to be a business offering secure mail boxes in Earl's Court.
Around the same time, Martin Refalo was also contacted by 'Jessica Gardner' and exchanged similar e-mails. He became suspicious when he received a Shell covering letter and bank draft for $4,900, far more than what was requested. His local HSBC branch verified that the draft was fraudulent and they are dealing with the matter.
When contacted, police said this was a common scam and that the cheques or bank drafts could not be cashed since they were normally forged. The fraud occurs when the victim sends back the excess cash via Western Union from their own account before the cheque's clearance period elapses.
Then they find out the forged cheque has bounced and the victim has to suffer the loss of money paid to the fraudster.
Ms Spiteri said she contacted the police fraud squad to warn them about the scam but was informed they could not take any action as the alleged fraudster was operating outside their jurisdiction.
A police spokesman told The Sunday Times that "anything that exits our jurisdiction is all the more difficult to investigate.
"That is why we remind everyone to be careful when sending money abroad to people that they do not know."