Rising cyberscam losses expose gaps in EU response

Deutsche Welle · 🇩🇪 public Germany · Jun 10, 2026 · 1028 words · By David Hutt

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What to know about Rising cyberscam losses expose gaps in EU response

Rising cyberscam losses expose gaps in EU response June 10, 2026A landmark study on cyberscams in Europe released this week has found that 75% of adults encountered a scam in the past year.

Claims checked 25

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Rising cyberscam losses expose gaps in EU response June 10, 2026A landmark study on cyberscams in Europe released this week has found that 75% of adults encountered a scam in the past year.

Why it matters

While 71% of respondents said they were confident in recognizing scams, 8% of those exposed went on to interact with scammers.

Common ground

Some 16% of parents said their children had been approached by a scammer.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Rising cyberscam losses expose gaps in EU response?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that In October 2024, the Council of the EU sanctioned three individuals linked to Thit Linn Myaing Group in Myanmar for scam operations?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dw.com/en/rising-cyberscam-losses-expose-gaps-in-eu-response/a-77487…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 25 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 15

check_circle Corroborated 4

info Single Source 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

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Claim 1: “In October 2024, the Council of the EU sanctioned three individuals linked to Thit Linn Myaing Group in Myanmar for scam operations.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 2: “75% of adults encountered a scam in the past year.”

CORROBORATED

The claim that 75% of European adults encountered a scam in the past year is reported by multiple independent sources, including a LinkedIn report and a 'Briefly' summary, both citing the GASA 'State of Scams Report 2026'.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Amphimallon solstitiale, also known as the summer chafer or European june beetle, is a beetle similar to the cockchafer but much smaller, approximately 20 millimetres (0.79 in) in length. They are dec…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphimallon_solstitiale

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars—the latter the most widely used calendar in the world. Its length is 30 days. June succeeds May and precedes July. This month …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — June beetle is the common name for several scarab beetles that appear around June in temperate parts of North America: In subfamily Cetoniinae: Cotinis nitida (Green June beetle) of the southeastern…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_beetle

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 3: “Of those who interacted with a scam, 22% suffered a financial or data loss”

SINGLE SOURCE

No evidence in the provided search results confirms the specific 22% figure for financial or data loss among those who interacted with a scam.

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web search NEUTRAL — Knowledge Base. Explore the latest reports, webinar recordings, best practices, scam trends and news from GASA.
https://gasa.org/knowledge-base?content_group=318467252980&p…

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web search NEUTRAL — GASA’s research finds scammers conclude nearly half of all scams within 24 hours, from the first contact to the payment stage. This rapid execution underscores how scammers’ pressure tactics manipulat…
https://www.feedzai.com/blog/gasa-global-state-of-scams-repo…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — GASA has a global footprint and has long pioneered coordinated efforts that bring sectors together to protect consumers from scams. Globe recently accepted the chairmanship of the GASA PH Chapter, wit…
https://www.rmanews.net/2026/01/02/scam-threats-to-online-fi…

schedule

Claim 4: “Last October, the US Treasury, working with the UK, sanctioned 146 targets linked to the Cambodia-based Prince Group”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 5: “In 2024, the United States Institute of Peace estimated that the cyberscam industry could be worth nearly €11 billion ($12.7 billion) annually in Cambodia”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 6: “the study by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), a nonprofit organization that polled around 22,200 people across 15 European countries.”

CORROBORATED

The description of GASA as a nonprofit that polled approximately 22,200 people across 15 European countries is corroborated by Deutsche Welle and the GASA 'State of Scams in Europe - 2026' report (which specifies 22,260 adults).

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A scam, or a confidence trick (shortened to con), is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using a combination of the victim's cred…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scam

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A scam center, fraud factory, fraud park, scam factory, scam compound, scam hub, scam park, fraud center, fraud compound, or fraud hub is a collection of large fraudulent organizations usually involve…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scam_center

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Scam centers in Cambodia are clandestine fraud operations, controlled by international and organized criminal networks specializing in online fraud and operating in Cambodia. Policy analysis has chara…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scam_centers_in_Cambodia

+ 4 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 7: “Washington designated [Prince Group] as a transnational criminal organization.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 8: “the highest average losses recorded in Switzerland, Denmark and Belgium.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results regarding the highest average losses being in Switzerland, Denmark, and Belgium.

help

Claim 9: “The average financial loss was $2,735 (€2,369)”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results to support the average financial loss of $2,735.

schedule

Claim 10: “Some 35% of those who reported their losses said their money was reimbursed by the organization they reported it to.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 11: “Beijing has pressured Cambodia to also deport Chinese-born alleged scammers, including Chen Zhi, to stand trial back at home.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 12: “Some 16% of parents said their children had been approached by a scammer.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While Deutsche Welle reports the 16% figure, other web results regarding children and scams (e.g., Straits Times) provide different percentages (21% in Malaysia), meaning the specific 16% figure for the European study is only found in the cross-reference source provided.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — GASA Group (Gartnernes Salgsforeninger; "co-operative marketing organisations") is a Danish company that imports and exports flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Founded in 1929 as a fruit, flowers and ve…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GASA

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gasa or GASA may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasa

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gasa District (Dzongkha: དགའ་ས་རྫོང་ཁག།; Wylie: dgav-sa rdzong-khag, also མགར་ས་རྫོང་ཁག།) is one of the 20 dzongkhags (districts) comprising Bhutan. The capital of Gasa District is Gasa Dzong near Gas…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasa_District

+ 4 more evidence sources

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Claim 13: “71% of respondents said they were confident in recognizing scams”

CORROBORATED

The figure of 71% confidence in recognizing scams is corroborated by Deutsche Welle and the official GASA 'State of Scams in Europe - 2026' web result.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gasa or GASA may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasa

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+ 4 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 14: “the US Justice Department indicted Prince Group chairman Chen Zhi... over alleged forced-labor scam compounds and filed... its largest-ever forfeiture action, involving around $15 billion in bitcoin.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 15: “the deadly Thailand-Cambodia border crisis that erupted in 2025.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 16: “At the 2026 Global Fraud Summit in Vienna in March, EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner said the European Commission would present an EU action plan against digital fraud before summer 2026.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 17: “at the 25th ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting in Brunei, the post-event joint statement referred repeatedly to online scams and scam centers in Southeast Asia.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 18: “GASA's report estimated scam losses in Germany were about €10.6 billion over the past 12 months.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 19: “Including scammers in Myanmar and Laos, these syndicates may be stealing more than €37.9 billion annually.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 20: “On April 21, the EU co-organized the ASEAN Regional Seminar on Online Scams Fighting in Bangkok”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 21: “Washington also moved against Cambodia-based Huione Group”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 22: “only 39% reported the incident to authorities.”

SINGLE SOURCE

Deutsche Welle reports that 39% reported the incident to authorities. However, a web search result from a German report mentions 39% received *reimbursement*, which is a different metric. The specific claim of 39% reporting rate is only corroborated by the cross-reference.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Among victims who reported their losses, 39% said they received reimbursement from the organization to which they reported the incident.The Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), in collaboration with Worl…
https://gasa.org/knowledge-base/blog/scams-continue-to-rise-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The most common types of scams, according to the GASA study involving 1,000 Filipino adults, are investment scams (65 percent), unexpected money scams (64 percent) and shopping scams (58 percent), wit…
https://qa.philstar.com/business/2025/12/22/2495909/curbing-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — financial institutions. According to the “2024 Asia Scam Report,” which surveyed nearly 25,000 participants across 13 markets in the region and released by the nonprofit organization Global Anti-Scam …
https://opinion.inquirer.net/177718/alarming-text-scam-probl…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 23: “8% of those exposed went on to interact with scammers.”

CORROBORATED

The claim that 8% of exposed individuals interacted with scammers is corroborated by Deutsche Welle and the GASA 'State of Scams in Europe - 2026' report.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — This study of 46000 adults across 42 markets reveals that seven in ten adults globally have encountered a scam in the last 12 months, with 13% encountering ...
https://gasa.org/knowledge-base/reports/global-state-of-scam…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Oct 7, 2025 ... ... scams and work internationally closer to get to catch the scammers. “Fraud isn't just about transactions anymore. It's about intent ...
https://gasa.org/knowledge-base/blog/global-scams-on-the-ris…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jun 8, 2026 ... This study of 22,260 adults across Europe shows that 75% encountered a scam ... scams, 8% of those exposed went on to interact with scammers.
https://gasa.org/knowledge-base/reports/state-of-scams-in-eu…

+ 1 more evidence source

verified

Claim 24: “Across the European countries surveyed, around €50 billion ($57.7 billion) has been lost to scams in the last 12 months”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Web search results for 2026 fraud and scams do not mention the specific figure of €50 billion lost across 15 European countries. The results provided discuss the RRF or general cybercrime statistics but not this specific GASA finding.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Starting in late May 2026, several severe heatwaves affected Europe. Temperature records were broken in Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Ro…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_European_heatwaves

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The UEFA Champions League (UCL or UEFA CL), commonly known as the Champions League, is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Champions_League

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2020 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2020 or simply Euro 2020, was the 16th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football champion…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2020

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 25: “In April 2025, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimated that the region's industrial-scale scam centers were generating almost €34 billion in annual profits.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.