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**European Consumer Watchdogs Highlight Pervasive Scams on Major Online Platforms** A recent investigation by BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation, alongside thirteen consumer groups across Europe, has revealed a significant and ongoing problem with financial scams proliferating on major digital platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Google. The evidence gathered between December 2025 and March 2026 documented 893 instances of these scams, underscoring the critical need for more robust platform accountability and enforcement of digital regulations. The evidence-gathering effort specifically focused on identifying and cataloging fraudulent schemes appearing on these widely-used online services. These findings highlight a gap in the platforms' existing corrective measures, suggesting that current efforts are insufficient to prevent the widespread circulation of scams and protect consumers from financial harm. This situation raises concerns about the effectiveness of self-regulation and the need for stricter oversight. This widespread issue directly impacts European consumers, who are increasingly vulnerable to online fraud. The findings are particularly relevant in the context of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aim to create a safer and more competitive digital environment. The scale of the problem suggests that enforcement of these regulations, particularly regarding platform responsibility for illegal content, will be a key focus for consumer protection bodies and policymakers going forward.
Curated and translated by Europe Digital for our multilingual European audience.
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