Italy’s Companies and Exchange Commission (CONSOB) today announced that it has ordered the blocking of access to 21 unauthorized websites.

The websites targeted by the latest orders are:

• Settecmanagement (website https://settecmanagement.cm and related page https://client.settecmanagement.cm);
• Mercerlimitltd (website https://mercerlimitltd.com and related page https://client.mercerlimitltd.com);
• “Shark Investments” (website https://shark-investlimited.com and related page https://cfd.shark-investlimited.com);
• “Fior Valorenza” (website https://fior-valorenza.com);
• Royalassetmanagement (website https://royalassetmanagement.co and related pages https://client.royalassetmanagement.co and https://webtrader.royalassetmanagement.co);
• ATF GlobalX (website https://atf-globalx.co and related page https://client.atf-globalx.co);
• Tibi Pro Secure Investments (website https://tibipro.com and page https://area.tibiproedge.com)
• Cumulvenza (website https://cumulvenza.com)
• “RER885” (website https://rer885.it);
• “TRUT88” (website https://trut88.it);
• “REG775” (website https://reg775.it);
• “SDTG99” (site https://sdtg99.it);
• “XZD316” (site https://xzd316.it);
• “RSD996” (site https://rsd996.it);
• “FHF326” (site https://fhf326.it);
• “TYT827” (site https://tyt827.it);
• “EWTD55” (site https://ewtd55.it);
• “DXGE85” (site https://dxge85.it);
• “3VK1O5” (site https://3vk1o5.it);
• “SDS323” (site https://sds323.it);
• “KSDF12” (site https://ksdf12.it).

Specifically, the regulator has ordered the blocking of eight websites that were illegally providing investment services and activities in financial instruments and 13 websites that were illegally providing crypto-asset services.

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 the websites of unauthorized financial intermediaries to 1,757. Of these, 217 concern crypto-related issues.

The Authority has exercised the powers granted by the “Growth Decree” to block the websites of unauthorized financial intermediaries and the powers provided by the MiCAR (EU Regulation and Legislative Decree No. 129/2024) regulations regarding the blocking of websites providing crypto-related services to Italian savers without authorization.

Internet service providers operating in Italy are currently blocking the websites. For technical reasons, the actual blocking may take several days to implement.

Consob also notes 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 and celebrities, and content generated by artificial intelligence systems—such as images, voices, or videos—has increased, with the aim of inducing investors to make harmful investment decisions.