France Shuts Down 181 Fraud Investment Sites As Losses Hit About €30,000 Per Victim

France’s top financial regulator says investment scams cost victims an average of €29,500 last year. The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), which oversees markets and financial firms, reported a sharp rise in fraud, especially online. Many of the schemes targeted younger investors through social media, where promises of fast profits lured in thousands.

The regulator said it shut down 181 fake investment websites last year. Of those, 117 were blocked by court order, while 64 were taken down by internet operators after receiving formal warnings. These sites often used slick marketing and false endorsements to gain trust before disappearing with investor funds.

The Autorité des marchés financiers Moves To End The Rise In Fraud

Marie-Anne Barbat-Layani, president of the AMF, said the situation has reached a level that can’t be ignored. In a letter to the French president, she warned that the rise in fraud is damaging public confidence. The company added that it’s stepping up efforts to respond faster and improve education around safe investing.

The AMF said 15% of French adults believe they’ve been scammed, but among those under 35, that number jumps to 35%. Many of these scams were linked to social media influencers promoting trading apps and platforms. Some of those platforms were not authorized to operate in France, which was a violation of the law.

One major scam highlighted in the report was called Immediate Connect. It used fake news stories and edited videos of public figures to promote automated trading software. The regulator said it flagged around 40 websites connected to that scheme and issued multiple public warnings about it.

In total, the AMF launched 56 new investigations and carried out 47 inspections last year. The enforcement arm issued 12 decisions affecting 60 people and firms. Out of those, 46 were sanctioned. The firm said this was the highest number of individuals penalized in years.

Penalties ranged from €10,000 to €7 million. Most of those sanctioned had to pay financial penalties, while some also faced bans from working in finance for up to five years. The regulator said all money collected from fines was transferred to the national treasury.

Experts Urges Investors To Check Platforms Before Investing

Experts sees the AMF’s data as a clear signal of rising risks in the online investment space. The firm urges investors to always verify a platform’s license and be cautious of anyone offering guaranteed returns. Fraud tactics have grown more complex, often blending technology and marketing.

The AMF’s public help service handled more than 13,000 requests last year, an 11% jump from the year before. Most came from individual investors, and more than half were related to unlicensed firms. The company said this shows how widespread unauthorized activity has become.

Requests for mediation also increased, especially involving real estate investment products. The AMF’s mediator issued over 700 proposals, but the backlog of open cases doubled to more than 450. The firm said this reflects the rising number of disputes and the stress they cause for investors.

Barbat-Layani said France has a leadership role to play in shaping Europe’s financial future. She called for deeper savings habits, better oversight of capital markets, and a stronger push to support innovation. The AMF’s focus this year includes restoring trust, stopping fraud earlier, and protecting investors at every stage.