Consob Warns of Fraudulent Emails Impersonating the Regulator

Italy's financial regulator, Consob, has warned investors about a phishing campaign involving fraudulent emails that falsely claim to originate from the authority.

According to Consob, the emails are sent from domains designed to resemble official addresses and falsely identify the senders as Consob employees or departments. The messages typically claim that the regulator has detected irregularities and encourage recipients to open links to view purported documents. In some cases, the emails reference fictitious Consob departments to increase their credibility.

The regulator stressed that these communications are not authorized by Consob and are consistent with well-known fraud techniques used to steal personal information or deceive investors. It noted that the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has also warned about similar impersonation and phishing scams targeting investors.

Consob reminded the public that it does not promote investment opportunities, solicit participation in financial schemes, or request money or personal information for investment purposes. Investors are encouraged to remain cautious when receiving unsolicited communications claiming to be from the regulator and to verify any suspicious messages through official channels.

The warning forms part of Consob's broader efforts to combat online financial fraud and raise awareness of increasingly sophisticated impersonation scams targeting retail investors.