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

The websites targeted by the latest Consob orders are:

• “Eurogpb” (website www.eurogpb.com and related page https://clientarea.eurogpb.com);
• Falcon Ltd (website https://alpha-connects.com and related page https://my.alpha-connects.com);
• “LevaQuant” (website https://levaquant.com and related page https://area.levaquant.org);
• “Darwinex IT” (website https://darwinexitltd.com and related page https://client.darwinexitltd.com);
• “CapitalAI” (website https://capitalai-ltd.com and related page https://trader.capitalai-ltd.com).

This brings the total number of websites blocked by Consob since July 2019 to 1,575.

In issuing the blocking orders, the Authority exercised the powers granted by the “Growth Decree” (Law No. 58 of June 28, 2019, Article 36, paragraph 2-terdecies).

Consob also draws the public attention to the evolution of deceptive practices that exploit the Internet to steal users’ money and personal data. The use of new tools, such as “cloned” emails and websites, counterfeit profiles of political figures, celebrities, and content generated by artificial intelligence systems—such as images, voices, or videos—has increased, with the aim of inducing savers to make harmful investment decisions.