Two months ago, we reminded our clients that there are scammers posing to be members of ASIC asking to pay fees and give out personal information to renew their business or company name.
This scam has been making rounds again. They are continuously sending emails with link that provides an invoice with fake payment details or infects your computer with malware if you click the link.
Warning Signs
Some of the warning signs that an email is not from ASIC and probably a scam if it asks you:
- to make a payment over the phone
- to make a payment to receive a refund
- for your credit card or bank details directly by email or phone
Here is an example of a scam email from 19 July 2017:
Note: If the email you received contains the above information, it is not from ASIC.
How to protect yourself from email scam?
Be vigilant and follow these tips to not be a victim of this scam:
- always keep your anti-virus software up-to-date
- be wary of emails that don’t address you by name or misspell your details and have unknown attachments
- don’t click any links on a suspicious email
Check also your registration renewal date. ASIC will only issue a renewal notice 30 days before your renewal date.
Unsure if an email is from ASIC?
If you doubt the authenticity of an email you’ve received from ASIC, forward the entire email to ReportASICEmailFraud@asic.gov.au or to ASIC and they can confirm if they’ve issued a notice to you.
You can also report the issue to Scamwatch. Scamwatch is run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). It provides information to consumers and small businesses about how to recognise, avoid and report scams.
You can also refer to ASIC’s MoneySmart website. They have more information on how to protect yourself from online scams.
If you think you might have accidentally paid funds to a scam or provided your personal details, please contact your bank or financial institution immediately.
Be reminded…
Please note that, if HTA Advisory acts as your ASIC Agent, all of your ASIC communication will come via our office, and we will forward to you any instructions regarding the communication.
For more information about scam emails pretending to be from ASIC, please follow this link. If you have any queries or concerns regarding this, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
