More than 670 unauthorized investment websites already blocked in Italy
Italy’s Companies and Exchange Commission (CONSOB) announces that it has issued orders for the blocking of five new unauthorized investment websites.
The entities and websites targeted by the latest set of blocking orders are:
- FX Publications, INC (website https://alphaforex.eu and related page https://client.alphaforex.eu);
- “Xtbinvesting” (website https://www.xtbinvesting.com and related page https://client.xtbinvesting.com);
- Preqster Ltd (website www.morganfxcapital.com and related page https://my.morganfxcapital.com);
- “Bitaliana” (website www.bitaliana.com);
- Bloomb Trading Facility BV (website https://tradingbloom.com and related page https://client.tradingbloom.com).
In issuing the orders, Consob made use of the powers deriving from the “Growth Decree” (Law no. 58 of 28 June 2019, Article no. 36, paragraph 2-terdecies), on the basis of which Consob can order Internet service providers (ISPs) to block access from Italy to the websites through which financial services are offered without due authorization.
The number of websites blacked out since July 2019, when Consob got the power to order the blocking of websites of fraudulent financial intermediaries, has risen to 674.
In late December 2021, Consob ordered the blackout of 28 new pages/websites that abusively offer financial services. The intervention followed a report from the Finance Police.
The black-out of these websites by Internet service providers operating on Italian territory is ongoing. For technical reasons, it can take several days for the blocking to come into effect.