The European Commission has published a study analysing financial scams on online platforms, carried out as part of its ongoing work under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
The study maps the main categories of online financial scams, the platform features and mechanisms that scammers exploit to reach victims, and the resulting impact on individuals and on society more broadly.
It also outlines potential measures that platforms could adopt to detect and limit the spread of such scams, feeding into the Commission's broader supervisory approach to systemic risks under the DSA.
The study affects very large online platforms and search engines subject to DSA risk-assessment and mitigation obligations, as well as other intermediary services that may host scam-related content or advertising.
While the DSA is a separate instrument from the EU AI Act, the two frameworks increasingly intersect where AI systems are used to detect, generate, or amplify fraudulent content, including scam-related deepfakes or automated outreach.
Organisations deploying AI-enabled fraud detection or content moderation tools should note that findings from this study may inform future guidance on risk mitigation obligations that overlap with AI Act transparency and risk-management requirements.
As a compliance matter, platforms and AI providers operating in adjacent spaces, such as automated financial advice, chatbots, or ad-targeting systems, may wish to monitor how this study shapes any future regulatory expectations.
Veritome will continue to track how DSA-related findings on online harms intersect with EU AI Act obligations, particularly around systems classified under Annex III as high-risk due to their use in fraud detection or consumer protection contexts.