Scams Targeting ASIC Customers

Over the past few years, the amount of financial-related scams doing the rounds has increased substantially. The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) has put together some basic information that will help you determine whether you are being contacted by a genuine ASIC representative or a scam artist if you have been asked to provide a host of personal information in order to renew your company or business name.

Spam Emails

Various emails have been compiled by scammers over the years in order to obtain your personal information from you. In most cases, these emails will contain one or more links that will either redirect you to an official-looking invoice that contains fake or fraudulent details for payment or they will infect your computer with harmful malware – which could also steal your personal information.

Red Flags to help you Determine that an Email has not been sent out by ASIC

It’s safe to say that an email is highly likely a scam mail that has not been sent out by ASIC if it requests the following information from you:

• To process any form of payment over the phone
• To make any payments before you will be able to obtain a refund
• To provide your bank or credit card information directly via phone or an email

Handy Tips to Protect Yourself against Email Scams like These

There are a few fast and simple ways in which you can help protect yourself and your private information against falling prey to scam emails like these. First and foremost, it’s crucial to ensure that you keep your computer’s anti-virus and anti-malware software up to date. Always be cautious of any emails that don’t address you by your full name, contain unfamiliar attachments or misspell any of your personal details. You must also ensure that you never click on any links that are contained in suspicious-looking emails.

It is also essential that you perform a proper check on your registration renewal date because ASIC will only send out any renewal notices 30 days before your actual renewal date. Another way to check up on a suspicious email is to search the ASIC website register for your company or business name – if it is outside of the standard timeframe, the mail you have received could very well be a scam. The team members at ASIC remain committed to ensuring that your personal details are always kept safe and secure. However, it is essential that you do your part as well by engaging in the above mentioned steps.

If you think that you may have been sent a scam email that requests any of your business or personal details, it should be reported to ASIC immediately. This can be done quickly and easily by forwarding the full email to them at ReportASICEmailFraud@asic.gov.au. Once their fraud department has received it, they can then take further action to investigate it. To find out more about scams that have been targeting ASIC customers, contact them today.