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Beware of phishing scams after MiCA deadline

After the MiCA transition period ended on July 1, scammers began sending phishing emails that pretended to be from ESMA or the AMF and asked recipients to send cryptocurrency to fraudulent websites.

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What happened

After the MiCA transition period ended on July 1, scammers began sending phishing emails that pretended to be from ESMA or the AMF and asked recipients to send cryptocurrency to fraudulent websites.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

Investors may lose crypto assets if they fall for these fake requests, and the scams could undermine confidence in the new EU crypto rules, potentially slowing adoption of regulated digital assets.

Analyst inference

The MiCA deadline marks the start of full EU regulation for crypto, so heightened vigilance is needed as the market adjusts to compliance requirements and increased scrutiny from regulators.

Analyst inference

What to watch

  1. Reports of additional phishing attempts that mimic other EU regulators, indicating whether scammers are expanding their tactics. Analyst inference
  2. Any official guidance from ESMA, AMF, or national authorities on how to verify legitimate communications, which could help reduce fraud. Proposed
  3. Changes in the volume of crypto transfers to unverified addresses, which may signal the effectiveness of awareness campaigns. Analyst inference

Evidence