The European Banking Authority has published its biennial Consumer Trends Report 2024/25, identifying payment fraud, indebtedness and unwarranted de-risking as the most important issues affecting EU consumers. The assessment draws on input from national authorities across the 27 Member States, consumer and industry associations, national ombudsmen and quantitative sources, including the EBA’s Retail Risk Indicators. Payment fraud remains the most significant consumer issue, driven in part by emerging scam techniques such as social engineering, where payers are manipulated into sending funds and fraudsters adapt to bypass strong customer authentication requirements under EU law. Indebtedness is the second key issue, linked to growth in Buy-Now-Pay-Later and other small, fast, accessible short-term credit, with inadequate creditworthiness assessments and poor pre-contractual disclosures identified as important drivers. Unwarranted de-risking ranks third, with more consumers experiencing refused onboarding or offboarding from payment accounts, particularly among migrants, refugees, the homeless, cross-border workers and individuals with poor financial histories. The EBA will consider actions in 2025/26 to address the issues identified in the 2024/25 report.
European Banking Authority 2025-03-26
European Banking Authority consumer trends report highlights payment fraud, indebtedness and unwarranted de-risking as top EU consumer issues
The European Banking Authority's Consumer Trends Report 2024/25 highlights payment fraud, indebtedness, and unwarranted de-risking as key issues for EU consumers. Payment fraud is exacerbated by social engineering scams, while indebtedness is linked to Buy-Now-Pay-Later schemes and inadequate credit assessments. Unwarranted de-risking affects vulnerable groups, including migrants and cross-border workers.