Finland's financial sector association Finanssiala ry has detailed that romance and investment scams cost Finns millions of euros in 2025, warning that fraudsters operate across platforms, including social media groups. In a statement on April 14, 2026, experts Niko Saxholm and Jouni Määttä highlighted that scams are not limited to spring romance season, with fraudsters targeting victims year-round.
The association's warning comes amid ongoing EU-level discussions on digital payments and fraud prevention. On April 9, 2026, Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič defended the digital euro as a public asset complementing private payment mergers, while on March 26, Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis proposed the digital euro to enhance EU financial sovereignty. The digital euro project, debated in the European Parliament's ECON committee on March 24, 2026, has seen divisions over privacy and financial stability, with ECB's Piero Cipollone citing estimated adaptation costs for banks of €1-1.4 billion.
Finanssiala ry's focus on scams underscores the need for robust security measures in digital payments. The association has previously called for digital identity wallets and clearer rules on bank services for businesses, aligning with EU efforts to combat fraud. The new data on 2025 losses reinforces the urgency of consumer protection in the evolving payment landscape, where private mobile payment alliances and the digital euro coexist.