Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1096093
NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 MARCH 2019 MALTESE police are unable to protect unsuspecting phone- users from the one-ring scams from far-flung countries which try to lure people to call back on expensive phone-lines. According to Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia, po- lice are unable to locate the ori- gin of these phone-calls despite their location flashing on smart- phone screens. Farrugia was answering a parliamentary question from Nationalist MP Karol Aquilina earlier this week. "The police is doing all that is possible to cre- ate awareness about this crime by way of prevention, and when it receives these phone-calls, it coordinates with service provid- ers to prevent these numbers from being used on their net- works." It has now become increasing- ly common to hear of suspicious phone calls from far-off coun- tries, which involve fraudsters dialling numbers from places like Liberia and immediately hanging-up. The scam lies in the hope that they will be called back, where- upon the unassuming called will then be routed to a premi- um rate number, overseas, and billed a large sum of cash to lis- ten to a pre-recorded message. The 'One Ring' scam is often referred to as Wangiri, the name by which it is known in Japan, meaning 'one and hang-up'. The number is recorded as a missed call on the prospective victim's phone, who may well dial the 'missed' number of some high- priced chat-line. What to do when you've had enough of Liberian and Anti- guan prank callers? Vodafone corporate senior ex- ecutive Kim Dalli has told Mal- taToday that smartphone users can not only block a number, but also see whether the phone can alert users to incoming scam calls. Even if blocking a number is not supported by the smartphone, there are specific apps from the Google or Apple store that enable the function to block numbers. But non-smartphones might not have the faculty to block these calls and unfortunately, providers like Vodafone cannot stop incoming calls for you. However, Dalli said Vodafone can stop its clients from calling the scam number by blocking outgoing calls. "Vodafone is un- able to stop incoming calls, but it can stop its clients from call- ing the scam number by block- ing outgoing calls," Dalli said. And when various people complain about the same num- ber, Dalli said that Vodafone usually block outgoing calls to the particular number. This way, no one would be able to call the number in question. Vodafone keeps a list of all the numbers that it has blocked through an internal process, and passes on the information to the Malta Communications Au- thority for their reference. The MCA has also devised a process for all telephony provid- ers to share a number or num- ber range used in scam calls, to block outgoing calls to the iden- tified number or number range. Although this is an effec- tive measure, it is to be taken into consideration that the scammers behind these calls typically change the numbers very frequently to bypass this prevention mechanism, an MCA spokesperson had said in an earlier contribution to the press. "Do not answer calls from uni- dentified, international num- bers immediately since many times these are dropped after a few rings. In the case of genuine calls, the caller would typically let the phone ring several times before dropping the call and would also re-attempt to call again if previous calls have not been answered. "Also, do not return any missed calls from unidentified, international numbers. If a call is returned unintentionally, the caller should end the call as soon as possible to minimise the costs incurred. Also, one should under no circumstances dis- close personal information over the phone," the MCA spokes- person said. A Facecrooks alert also men- tions the 268 area code (An- tigua), but a number of other country codes have been linked with scams taking advantage of 'pay-per-call' numbers, includ- ing Belarus (375), the British Virgin Islands (284), the Do- minican Republic (809), Gre- nada (473), Latvia (371) and Ja- maica (876). Police can only do so much about one-ring scam, minister says What to do when you've had enough of Liberian and Antiguan prank callers? CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 "It is being alleged that this FIAU report, if it does exist, was passed on to the police for investigation in March 2018… but as you well know, I have never been asked to give an ex- planation or statement to the police. "In the light of these allegations I am ask- ing you to investigate the connection between these false signatures on the documents I have passed on to you, and the allegations in the questions that have been sent to me." Delia said he denied that he was ever in- volved in illegal financial transactions. "As a citizen, as well as leader of the Oppo- sition, I have every right to know the details of any allegations in my regard, as much as I have the duty to defend my reputation against malicious attacks against me for partisan rea- sons, especially when they are built on docu- ments with false signatures," Delia said. "I say this with the greatest of responsibil- ity, since only a few hours ago I criticised the state capture of institutions such as the FIAU, the police corps and the Attorney General's office, and then these allegations from the Times of Malta reached me to discredit me. These attacks are part of a campaign to weak- en the Maltese institutions." The FIAU investigation concerns a London- based prostitution racket and the alleged involvement of Delia, which allegedly rec- ommended a criminal investigation into the possible laundering of funds for the Maltese owners of two Soho brothels. The allegations were reported by the late journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and Malta- Today, where Delia was said to have acted for clients collecting rent from properties which were used for illicit earnings from prostitu- tion. Delia is believed to have used a Barclays In- ternational account in Jersey to receive the rent of 52 Greek Street, paid to him by Ema- nuel Bajada, to be forwarded on to Bajada's brother Eucharist, the owner of the property, or to two UK companies. Delia already has a business relationship with Eucharist Bajada and his son, Eucharist jnr, in Malta. Emanuel Bajada was convicted of living off prostitution earnings in 2010. Delia's Jersey account was said to have re- ceived £20,000 every month in rent for the Soho house, which Emanuel Bajada's lawyers in 2003 claimed were not forwarded to the two UK companies. After 2004, the house was owned by Mark Barbara, an aide to minister Chris Cardona, who as lawyer had defended Emanuel Bajada on prostitution charges in 2005; and now it is owned by a BVI-registered company called Maybole. Delia wants FIAU leak investigated