Eurojust Convenes Experts on Online Investment Fraud
More than 80 participants met at Eurojust to address rising cross-border online investment fraud and joint investigations.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Financial Crime
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JITs Network experts convened at Eurojust to address online investment fraud. Eurojust reported that online investment fraud cases and Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) involving such cases rose by more than 330% between 2020 and 2025.
Why it matters
Criminal networks use digital technologies to reach large numbers of victims across borders and move illicit proceeds quickly between jurisdictions. Efforts by individual authorities to prosecute online investment fraud on their own are often futile.
Eurojust registered more than a 330% rise in online investment fraud cases and related JITs from 2020 to 2025, based on its own case records. The meeting's outcomes and any specific prosecutions arising from it were not reported.
The players
Eurojust
The European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, which supports coordination of cross-border criminal investigations and prosecutions among EU member states.
Europol
The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, which supports law enforcement cooperation across EU member states.
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization, which facilitates cross-border police cooperation among its member countries.
The details
The meeting was organised by the JITs Network Secretariat with Eurojust and Europol and included representatives from the European Commission, Interpol, the European Public Prosecutor's Office, the Anti-Money Laundering Authority and eu-LISA. Sessions covered how fraud schemes operate, the role of artificial intelligence in detection, digital evidence, financial investigations, asset recovery and victim handling.
Timeline
2005: The JITs Network was established.
2020 to 2025: Online investment fraud cases and JITs rose by more than 330%.
November 5, 2026: JITs experts met at Eurojust.
Legal Context
The JITs Network, which has operated since 2005 as a Eurojust-supported forum for Joint Investigation Team experts, is the setting for this meeting. The sharp rise in online investment fraud JITs reported for 2020 to 2025 marks a new emphasis within that long-running cooperation framework.
Individuals investing online face rising cross-border fraud risk, and the coordinated prosecution efforts discussed may affect how such cases are pursued across European jurisdictions. The practical protections for victims and recovery of assets remain under development.
The takeaway
Online investment fraud increasingly crosses borders, so coordinated investigation tools such as JITs are becoming central to enforcement. Readers should treat unsolicited high-return investment offers online with caution.
Further reading
For broader context on schemes like these, see Financial Crime coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Eurojust.
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