Italy’s Companies and Exchange Commission (CONSOB) has ordered the blocking of five new websites that offer financial services illegally.
The websites targeted by the latest orders are:
- Imperialcap24 Limited and Top Markets Ltd (website https://imperialcap24.com and related page https://wt.imperialcap24.com);
- “AfexEU” (website www.afexeultd.com and related pages https://client.afexeultd.com and https://trade.afexeultd.com);
- “Bitblanco” (website www.bitblanco.io);
- “INVESTRIUM” (website https://investriumltd.com and pages https://accountusers.dashboard.clientzonearea.webtradersclientzone.com and https://clientzone.account.deposit.payment.webtraderdashboard.com);
- “FameFX24” (website https://famefx24.com and related pages https://crm.investmentcfd.com and https://trading.wrt33.com).
The Authority made use of the powers deriving from the “growth decree” (law no. 58 of 28 June 2019, article 36, paragraph 2-terdecies), on the basis of which Consob can order Internet connectivity service providers to inhibit the access from Italy to websites through which financial services are offered without the necessary authorization.
In issuing the orders, the Authority availed itself of the powers deriving from the “Decreto crescita” (“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 to block access from Italy to websites offering financial services without the proper authorization.
The number of websites blacked out since July 2019, when Consob got the power to order that the websites of fraudulent financial intermediaries be blocked, has thus risen to 1047.
The black-out of these websites by Internet service providers is ongoing. For technical reasons, it can take several days for the blocking to be implemented.
Consob draws investors’ attention to the importance of adopting the greatest diligence in order to make informed investment choices, adopting common sense behaviors, essential to safeguard their savings: these include, for websites that offer financial services, checking in advance that the operator with whom they are investing is authorized, and, for offers of financial products, that a prospectus has been published.
