Maltese shoppers on the lookout for a bargain seemed to have found one in recent days, as a local jewellery atelier closing down for heartrending personal reasons was offering its remaining stock at steep discounts.

Many could not resist the offer, buying beautiful pieces without thinking twice.

Once the rush of the deal passed and a link to track their order came in, however, many were in for a shock.

“They sent me a tracking report starting from China,” says Rosalba Ebejer Catania, a teacher who opened up to WhosWho.mt about her experience.

“It claims to be a Maltese business, closing down because the owner needs to leave the island for personal reasons after many years in Malta,” she says.

In fact, the website shows a display window in a traditional Maltese street, looking like it could be in any of the country’s many charming village cores.

“It was all a sob story though,” continues Ms Ebejer Catania. “The website looks legit, but it’s fraudulent.”

She is not alone, with a post on the Facebook Group Are You Being Served? (Malta & Gozo) Original attracting dozens of comments, including many by others who fell victim to the scam.

Some said they cancelled the card they used to make the payment, incurring further charges, while many were wondering how they could get their money back.

A not so Maltese atelier

A closer look at the Atelier Maria Malta website shows that the picture-perfect display on a typical street seems to be set in a residential façade.

Despite claiming to have been operating in Malta for “18 wonderful years”, there is little to show for it. There are no media mentions, a bare Facebook page, and nothing to indicate a local presence.

Eagle-eyed shoppers – or perhaps those who have been bitten before – would be quick to pick up on such inconsistencies, as well as on the incessant sense of urgency being communicated.

“4 pieces remaining – they will never be produced again.” “Very limited quantities.”

Such tactics are often used by scammers in a bid to hijack the brain and compel the victim to take action before stopping to think.

To its credit, though, Atelier Maria Malta does not claim to be shipping its products from Malta. Although it promises free shipping, its shipping policy says that all orders “are shipped directly from our warehouses in China.”

But who reads shipping policies?

Is it a scam?

Definitely. Atelier Maria Malta is presenting itself fraudulently, using manipulative pricing and narratives in a predatory fashion.

However, the jury is still out on whether the items will arrive.

Shoppers may just have paid €39.99 for something that costs €1.34.