One out of every three financial scams detected in the digital environment are already identity thefts, according to a study by the Col·legi d'Economistes de Catalunya carried out together with the Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences of the University of Girona. Within that block, 45.5% affect individuals, 27.3% use the image of private entities such as banks, and 15.2% impersonate public bodies.
The data arrives at a time when economic disinformation not only circulates more, but also gains sophistication and conditions financial decisions of citizens and companies. The report warns of economic losses, confusion, and reputational damage, while detecting content that is presented as legitimate advice or services when it is not.
23% of false content offers unauthorized investments
The study places the weight of false content linked to unauthorized or unsupervised investment services at 23%. Added to this is 13% of misleading taxation content.
In that tax sphere, 75% of false messages revolve around inheritances and 25% around donations. Messages have also been identified that claim paying taxes is foolish and pieces that use the corporate image of the Tax Agency to impersonate its members.
Among the detected cases is a high frequency of fraudulent platforms for buying and selling financial assets. The report cites the cryptoasset website HTX, whose activity prompted the Austrian stock exchange to send a letter to the National Securities Market Commission.
The Observatory will open a channel with the CNMV and another with Mossos d'Esquadra
Faced with this scenario, the Col·legi d'Economistes de Catalunya has launched an Observatory of Fake News in Economics and Business. The body will have a reporting channel with dialogue with the National Securities Market Commission and will also establish a direct channel with the Mossos d'Esquadra to transfer detected cases.
De Travy has explained that the observatory will promote economic education actions and measures to facilitate the contrast and verification of information. The college also plans digital verification tools based on artificial intelligence and agile channels for reporting and collaboration with institutions.
The analysis also includes phishing cases and other forms of online financial crime. In that context, the entity recommends checking the list of unauthorized companies from the National Securities Market Commission, reviewing user opinion platforms such as TrustPilot or Rankia, and relying on artificial intelligence and verification tools.
Víctor Bottini, president of the Marketing and Communication Commission of the Col·legi d'Economistes de Catalunya, has requested that disinformation be reported through the complaint form of the National Securities Market Commission, to the Mossos d'Esquadra and also on social networks.