Austrian Financial Market Authority gains Trusted Flagger status

The Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) has been certified as a ‘Trusted Flagger’ by KommAustria under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). This designation allows the FMA to report illegal financial services to online platforms with priority status.

Under the DSA, online platforms are required to treat reports from certified trusted flaggers with precedence and make swift decisions. This mechanism is intended to combat fraudulent activities such as fake brokers, illegal crypto-trading platforms, and investment scams distributed via social media and messenger services. These scams often utilize deepfake videos, AI-driven chatbots, and cloned identities to deceive victims.

In 2025 alone, the FMA received 842 reports regarding investment fraud, involving damages totaling approximately 20 million euros, though officials note this represents only a fraction of the actual total damage.