Italy’s Companies and Exchange Commission (CONSOB) has ordered the blocking of eight new websites that offer investment services without authorization.

The websites targeted by the latest orders include:

• “Alantracfd” (website https://alantra-cfd.com and related pages https://web.alantra-cfd.com and https://client.alantra-cfd.com);
• “Investenix” (website https://investenix.com and related page https://dashboard.investenixpro.com);
• “MRX Capital Trading” (website https://trading-area.mrxspectron-markets.com);
• “EUROAMFIN” (website https://euroamfin.com and related page https://client.euroamfin.com);
• VT Markets Limited (website www.vtmarkets-it.com and related page https://myaccount.vtmarkets-it.com);
• Amius Group Ltd (website https://amiusgroupltd.com and related page https://client.amiusgroupltd.com);
• “Naviark” (websites www.naviarkpmk.com and www.narvac.com).

This brings the total number of websites blocked by Consob since July 2019, when the Authority was granted the power to order the blocking of websites operated by abusive financial intermediaries, to 1,570.

The Authority has exercised the powers conferred on it by the “Decreto Crescita” (‘Growth Decree’, Law No. 58 of 28 June 2019, Article No. 36, paragraph 2-terdecies) to block the websites of abusive financial intermediaries.

Consob also draws attention to the evolution of deceptive practices that exploit the Internet to steal users’ money and personal data: there has been an increase in the use of new tools, such as emails and “cloned” websites, fake profiles of politicians and celebrities, and content generated using artificial intelligence systems – such as images, voices, or videos – with the aim of inducing savers to make harmful investment choices.