The Italian Securities Commission (Consob) ordered the blocking of https://giorgetti-invest.com, a website that cloned the image of Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti and used fabricated interviews purportedly aired on major TV programmes to promote investment services offered via abusive trading platforms. The action also covers six other websites offering unauthorised financial intermediation, bringing the total number of sites blocked by Consob since July 2019 to 1,311. The blocked sites include Paragonix Trader AI, Telarax, Goldbysell, Smart Solutions Bot, Afex Markets and Finco Trades (including related client and webtrader pages). Consob cited its powers under the “Growth Decree” (Law No. 58 of 28 June 2019) and the “Capital Markets Law” (Law No. 21 of 5 March 2024), and noted earlier similar interventions involving abusive references to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella. The authority also reminded investors to verify that providers of financial and crypto-asset services are authorised and that a prospectus or white paper has been published where required. Implementation of the blocking measures by internet connectivity providers operating in Italy is under way, and effective take-downs may take several days for technical reasons.
Italian Securities Commission (Consob) 2025-05-08
Italian Securities Commission orders blocking of seven unauthorised investment websites including one impersonating Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti
The Italian Securities Commission (Consob) has blocked seven websites, including giorgetti-invest.com, for unauthorized financial intermediation and misuse of public figures' images. This action, citing powers under the "Growth Decree" and "Capital Markets Law," brings the total number of sites blocked since July 2019 to 1,311. Consob advises investors to ensure service providers are authorized and have published necessary documentation.