The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) has warned of a new wave of fraudulent mailings. Fraudsters are sending fake letters on behalf of the agency, demanding that Bitcoin and Ethereum traders pay fines for “market manipulation.” The letters use official MFSA logos and signatures, which makes them more convincing. The regulator emphasizes that these documents have no legal force and urges to check the senders through the official register. This is not the first time: last year, fraudsters already tried to impersonate MFSA employees.

Experts advise never transferring money in response to such demands and immediately reporting suspicious letters to the MFSA. Traders who actively work with cryptocurrencies should be especially careful.

It is also notable that the regulator had previously exempted NFTs from regulation in preparation for the EU-wide MiCA law, which could create a false impression of its powers.