Names, licence numbers and websites of Australian Financial Services (AFS) licensees are increasingly being impersonated online, exposing consumers to scams.
To combat this, in April 2026 ASIC decided that AFS licensee website addresses should be added to the AFS licensee professional register. These websites addresses will be published on the ASIC Professional Registers Search (PRS) from June 2026.
Listing website addresses will enable consumers and businesses to check that they are dealing with genuine AFS licensee websites and combat impersonation scams where criminals copy the name and licence details of AFS licensees to create fake websites.
From 4 May 2026, ASIC will begin to collect AFS licensee website addresses for all existing AFS licensees via the Regulatory Portal on a voluntary basis. If an AFS licensee provides ASIC with its website addresses (or confirms that it does not operate a website) then they must keep those details up to date. For example, an AFS licensee must inform ASIC, in relation to the websites used to carry on its financial services business, when it starts operating a website, stops using a website address it previously listed, or changes its principal website address.
Why this matters
- Make it easier to spot AFS licensee impersonation websites and reduce investment scam losses.
- Help detect and disrupt scam websites that misuse AFS licensee details.
- Support other agencies and businesses to verify website addresses as part of a broader anti-scam effort.
- Align ASIC’s AFS professional register with approaches used by other international regulators.
This page contains information for AFS licensees providing website addresses to ASIC. Consumers and businesses can find information about verifying providers of investment opportunities on the Moneysmart Check before you invest webpage.
ASIC will only contact an AFS licensee from an @asic.gov.au email address.
Scammers often set up scam websites that look like AFS licensee websites and use similar website addresses. Because of this, AFS licensees and users of the PRS must be vigilant to avoid typos when providing or using website addresses.
Key actions for AFS licensees
Prepare
Check that the AFS licensee’s Regulatory Portal ongoing contact person details are up to date so that it receives emails from ASIC about this change. If the AFS licensee uses more than one website address to carry on its financial services business, it should select one to nominate as the ‘principal’ website address.
Provide
Log into the Regulatory Portal and provide ASIC with the AFS licensee’s website addresses used to carry on its financial services business. See below FAQ for guidance on which website addresses to provide and what format to provide them in.
Update
If an AFS licensee provides ASIC with its website addresses (or confirms that it does not operate a website) then they must update ASIC within 10 business days if their website addresses used to carry on their financial services business change or they start operating a website. Late fees will apply for changes provided after 10 business days.
Frequently asked questions
Changes to the AFS licensee professional register
What’s changing?
ASIC is adding AFS licensee website addresses to the AFS licensee professional register.
ASIC will contact AFS licensees and request they voluntarily submit website addresses used to carry on their financial services business from 4 May 2026. ASIC will commence displaying the website addresses on the PRS from June 2026.
Who does this apply to?
All current AFS licence holders and any new Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) applicants from 4 May 2026. It does not apply to Australian Credit Licensees, authorised representatives, or other non-licensed entities (such as companies) at this time.
See also: Does an AFS licensee need to provide website addresses if its AFS licence is suspended or cancelled?
When does it start?
ASIC will start collecting website addresses from 4 May 2026. ASIC notified AFS licensees of the change to the AFS licensee professional register in late April 2026. ASIC will commence displaying AFS licensee website addresses on the PRS in June 2026.
Are there any fees?
No fee is payable to notify ASIC of a change to an AFS licensee’s website address. There is no fee for this to be shown on the AFS licensee professional register. If an AFS licensee provides ASIC with its website addresses (or confirms that it does not operate a website) then they must keep those details up to date. If the AFS licensee does not notify ASIC of the website address change within 10 business days, late fees will apply.
ASIC sent an email about this — could it be a scam?
ASIC will contact an AFS licensee from an @asic.gov.au email address. If an AFS licensee is unsure, the AFS licensee should not click links in the message. The AFS licensee should open the Regulatory Portal and look for a notification regarding the request in the banners in the Regulatory Portal or contact ASIC to confirm.
What if an AFS licensee did not receive ASIC’s email?
If an AFS licensee did not receive the email, they should sign in to the Regulatory Portal and confirm that their ongoing contact person details are correct for future communications. They can also follow the guidance on this page to provide their website addresses. If needed, the AFS licensee should contact ASIC.
How can businesses and consumers get a downloadable list of all AFS Licensee website addresses?
Data will be available to download as a list via the Australian government’s data.gov.au.
Providing website addresses
How will ASIC ask for website addresses?
ASIC will contact AFS licensees via email and ask them to complete the Notify change of details of an Australian financial services licence transaction in the Regulatory Portal.
ASIC will only contact an AFS licensee from an @asic.gov.au email address.
How can an AFS licensee provide their website addresses?
- Access the Regulatory Portal and sign in. The portal includes instructions on how to register for new users.
- Once signed in, open a new Notify change of details of an Australian financial services licence
- Select ‘Website(s)’ as the type of detail to change.
- Confirm whether the AFS licensee uses any websites to carry on their financial services business.
- If no websites are operated, complete the required declaration and submit the form.
- If the AFS licensee uses websites to carry on its financial services business, a new question will appear.
- Provide each of the AFS licensee’s website addresses using the available fields. Additional fields can be added using the plus button.
- Each AFS licensee must nominate a principal website address using the principal address toggle button.
- Once all website addresses have been provided and one principal website address has been nominated, confirm that all details are accurate.
- Finally, complete the required declaration and submit the form.
What if an AFS licensee cannot access the portal?
If an AFS licensee cannot access the Regulatory Portal (for example, because it does not have the login or user permissions), the AFS licensee should follow the Regulatory Portal registration and help steps. If issues remain, the AFS licensee should contact ASIC.
See also: Does an AFS licensee need to provide website addresses if its AFS licence is suspended or cancelled?
What if an AFS licensee does not use a website to carry on its financial services business?
If an AFS licensee advises it does not use a website to carry on its financial services business, ASIC will show ‘no website operated’ on the PRS. This helps consumers identify fake websites claiming to be the AFS licensee in circumstances where the PRS states that the AFS licensee does not have a website address.
Does an AFS licensee need to nominate a principal website?
If an AFS licensee provides their website address to ASIC, the AFS licensee must also nominate a principal website address. The principal website address is the AFS licensee’s primary online presence and central digital hub for the financial services the AFS licensee provides under its AFSL.
If an AFS licensee uses more than one website address to carry on its financial services business, they will need to choose one to be their principal website address. This principal website address may also be newly created.
As a matter of good anti-scam practice, principal website addresses could include the following content:
- AFSL number, AFS licensee name and contact details
- recent scam warnings
- details of how the AFS licensee will (and will not) contact or interact with consumers
- a list of the website addresses operated by an AFS licensee’s representatives, authorised representatives and/or distributors
- an explanation of distribution structures and entities that a consumer may interact with when obtaining financial services from the AFS licensee
- guidance on how to contact any of the above entities or verify communications from them.
Which website addresses must be provided?
Include website addresses the AFS licensee uses to carry on its financial services business, such as:
- the main or homepage of website addresses that promote the AFS licensee’s financial services (including website addresses linked from the AFS licensee’s online ads or social media pages)
- Fictitious example: https://www.myAFSLwebsite.com
- customer or member portals where the AFS licensee provides advice, reports or client information
- Fictitious example: https://www.memberportalmyAFSLwebsite.com
- website addresses where customers can transact with the AFS licensee (or where the AFS licensee transacts with other financial services businesses)
- Fictitious example: https://www.myAFSLwebsiteportal.com
- any website address that displays or references an AFSL number to suggest it is used, operated by, or connected to, an AFS licensee. This includes websites only available outside Australia, even if that reference appears in the page source code rather than on-screen
- Fictitious example: https://www.worldwidefinanicalservices.com
- a website operated by an overseas licensed entity where the website is used by the AFS licensee to carry on a financial services business in Australia
- Fictitious example: https://www.northernhemispherefinanicalservices.com
Which website addresses must not be provided?
Exclude:
- third-party website addresses that mention the AFS licensee’s name or AFSL number, but which have no relationship to the AFS licensee
- Fictitious example: https://www.aboutaustralianfinanicalserviceslicensees.com/myAFSL
- subpages or subdomains of websites operated by an AFS licensee
- Fictitious example: https://www.myAFSLwebsite.com/contact-us
- Fictitious example: https://www.contact.myAFSLwebsite.com
- subpages of websites operated by third parties or digital platforms
- Fictitious example: https://www.afssocialmedia.com/myAFSLprofile
- website addresses operated by authorised representatives of AFS licensees (where they show the AFS licensee’s AFS licence number only to identify who they are authorised by)
- Fictitious example: https://www.worldsbestauthorisedrep.com.au
- brand-protection or ’defensive’ website addresses kept only to prevent misuse (for example, typo-squatting)
- Fictitious example: https://www.myAFSIwebsite.com.au
- test or non-production website addresses (for example, user acceptance testing environments)
- Fictitious example: https://www.uat.myAFSLwebsite.com.au
- Disaster-event landing pages
- Fictitious example: https://www.disaster.myAFSLwebsite.com.au
- Website addresses belonging to non-AFS licensee distributor of insurance products issued by an AFS licensee
- Fictitious example: https://www.besthealthinsurance.com.au
How must website addresses be formatted?
- Include http:// or https:// at the start.
- Copy and paste the address exactly as it appears in the browser as some websites may be formatted as https://www.myAFSLwebsite.com and others may be formatted as https://myAFSLwebsite.com.
- Provide the main website address only (not a specific page, path or subpage).
Example of correct website address formats:
- Real example: https://www.asic.gov.au/
- Fictitious example: https://www.myAFSLwebsite.com
- Fictitious example: https://www.myAFSLwebsite.com.au
- Real example: http://www.asic.gov.au and https://www.asic.gov.au if both are used by the AFS licensee to carry on its financial services business – unless one just redirects to the other.
Example of incorrect website address formats:
- Real example: https://www.asic.gov.au/about-asic/contact-us/
- Real example: https://regulatoryportal.asic.gov.au/
- Fictitious example: https://myAFSLwebsite.com/contact-us
What if an AFS licensee only has a single global website?
It is good practice for a global financial services provider website to redirect visitors from Australia to an Australian-focused webpage or subpage. However, AFS licensees should only provide main website addresses to ASIC.
- Fictitious example: https://www.worldwidefinanicalservices.com (redirects Australian visitors to https://www.worldwidefinanicalservices.com/au)
What if a website is used by multiple AFS licensees?
An AFS licensee must list the website address under each AFSL it uses to carry on its financial services business, even if another entity in the corporate group or distribution chain has already listed the same website address as part of its AFSL.
For the insurance sector, when offering services via third-party non-AFS licensee websites, should the AFS licensee list these website addresses?
If an AFS licensee issues insurance contracts that are distributed by another AFS licensee, the product may be advertised on a website operated by a third entity that does not hold an AFSL. In this case, the AFS licensee must not provide that website address to ASIC.
However, they may wish to list the third-party website address on their principal website address to help consumers verify that the website is associated with them. The AFS licensee distributing the insurance contract may also wish to list the website address on their principal website address.
See also: Does an AFS licensee need to nominate a principal website? and Which website addresses must not be provided?
Does an AFS licensee need to provide website addresses if its AFSL is suspended or cancelled?
No. If an AFSL is suspended or cancelled, the AFS licensee does not need to provide its website addresses. The PRS will indicate that the licence is suspended or ceased and will not display any websites addresses.
What if an entity holds an AFSL and an Australian Credit Licence (ACL)?
Only website addresses used to carry on its financial services business under an AFSL must be provided to ASIC using the Notify change of details of an Australian financial services licence transaction.
If a single website is used to operate both an AFSL and an ACL, then the website address should be provided.
Can an AFS licensee provide an authorised representative’s website address?
An AFS licensee must only include an authorised representative’s website address if the AFS licensee operates the website on the authorised representative’s behalf. Otherwise, the authorised representative’s website address must not be provided.
An AFS licensee may consider listing authorised representative website addresses on their principal website. This will help consumers verify website addresses associated with an AFS licensee’s authorised representatives.
See also Does an AFS licensee need to nominate a principal website? and Which website addresses must not be provided?
Updating website addresses
When do website addresses need to be updated?
After an AFS licensee provides ASIC with the website addresses of websites used to carry on its financial services business (or confirms that it does not operate a website) then they must update ASIC within 10 business days if it:
- starts using a new website address
- stops using a website address it previously listed
- changes which website address is nominated as its principal website.
Late fees will apply if the AFS licensee does not notify ASIC within 10 business days of the change. This timing is consistent with other requirements to notify ASIC of changes to AFS licensee details.
Updates will appear on the PRS as soon as ASIC receives them, so the public can have access to correct information. It is important that an AFS licensee tells ASIC as soon as possible (or within 10 business days) if they cease to use a website address to carry on its financial services business that is listed on the PRS. This will allow the PRS to be updated and prevent consumers from engaging with a website that is no longer associated with the AFS licensee.
How can website addresses be changed or updated?
To update website addresses, an AFS licensee must log in to the Regulatory Portal and create a new Notify change of details of an Australian financial services licence transaction to inform ASIC of these changes.
If an AFS licensee changes their principal website address to one already provided to ASIC, it will appear pre-filled in the Regulatory Portal, allowing them to nominate it as their principal website address without re-entering it.
AFS licensees will not be able to edit website addresses previously provided to ASIC. If an AFS licensee needs to correct a typo in a website address already provided to ASIC, they should use the usual correction process (for example, by contacting ASIC).
For further information, see: What if the PRS shows the wrong website address?
When updating ASIC with changes to the website addresses it uses to carry on its financial services business, an AFS licensee can:
- add new website addresses (including a new principal website address)
- remove website addresses it previously provided
- change which website address is nominated as its principal website.
For further information on the Regulatory Portal steps, see: How can an AFS licensee provide their website addresses?
Does an AFS Licensee need to tell ASIC if they change their website content?
No, only if they change their website addresses or their principal website address.
See also: When do website addresses need to be updated?
What if the PRS shows the wrong website address?
AFS licensees are responsible for the accuracy of website addresses provided to ASIC.
If an AFS licensee identifies a minor error, such as a typo, they can make a web inquiry through Contact us. They will need to provide their AFSL number, the date of the transaction, what was entered in error and the correct website address. ASIC will consider the request and may correct the AFS licensee professional register.
There are limits to the corrections that ASIC can make. For example:
- ASIC can correct: https://www.myASFcom.au to https://www.myAFSLwebsite.com.au (simple typo)
- ASIC cannot correct: https://www.myAFSLwebsite.com.au to https://www.ourAFSLwebsite.com.au (change of website address).
To change a website address, an AFS licensee will need to submit a Notify change of details of an Australian financial services licence transaction in the Regulatory Portal.
See also: How can website addresses be changed or updated?
Publication of website addresses
What will ASIC publish on the Professional Registers Search (PRS) webpage?
ASIC will display an AFS licensee’s principal website address (or the fact that they do not have a website) prominently on the PRS. Any additional website addresses the AFS licensee provides will appear lower down in an expandable section.
Will old website addresses be shown on the PRS?
No. The PRS will only show current website addresses for each AFS licensee.
Can historical AFS licensee website addresses be viewed on the PRS?
No. The PRS is a point-in-time view only.
Can an AFS licensee’s website address be searched on the PRS?
No.
Need help?
For general enquiries or questions not covered on this webpage please Contact ASIC.
