Protect your business and customers from scams

Combatting scams is a critical task for corporate Australia to protect consumers.

Monitoring for brand misuse and impersonations

Scammers pretend to be associated with Australian companies, including Australian licensed financial service businesses, to deceive you into disclosing personal information and money.

It is important you take steps to protect your business and brand from being misused and impersonated.

Keeping your company and business details up to date is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect your company from scams – it ensures you receive important ASIC correspondence, including annual statements, reminders, notices and alerts, helping you stay aware of any activity linked to your company.

Ensure you regularly review your registered companies and business names, cancelling registrations you no longer need, and monitor your company’s ASIC records.

To combat Australian financial services (AFS) licensee impersonations, AFS licensee website addresses will be published on the ASIC Professional Registers Search from June 2026. For more information, see AFS licensees: Providing and updating website addresses through the Regulatory Portal.

Registered agents

If you use a registered agent, you should expect them to meet strict obligations, including submitting accurate documents, keeping authority records, complying with requests for information, and maintaining an ABN.

You should also expect your agent to act lawfully, transparently, and ensure they hold proper authority before lodging documents on your behalf. If your agent resigns, or you do not want to use them anymore, make sure you update your details accordingly, including your addresses.

Warn your customers about scams impacting your business

Stopping a customer being targeted by scammers not only prevents their money being stolen, but also avoids the distress that scams cause and builds trust in your business. It is important you keep your customers informed if you become aware of a scam impacting your business, so they can be on alert.

Benefit of removing hyperlinks – Good anti-scams hygiene

Scammers often send links in email and text messages to reach unsuspecting targets. These links may lead to a fake invoice or website or malware.

By avoiding the use of hyperlinks in your communications, you can reduce the risk of scammers impersonating your brand and targeting your customers.

Use links only as a last resort.

Do not use links in messages that don’t require further action or information.

If you continue to send communications with links, acknowledge the risks of doing so and implement mitigation strategies. These can include avoiding the use of shortened URL services, which are used by scammers to disguise malicious links, and providing simple and clear messaging to your customers around how you will communicate with them, including examples.

If you remove hyperlinks from your business communications, be sure to let your customers know – this will make scams easier for them to spot.

Prevent phishing and business email compromise scams

Turning on multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a crucial way to prevent scammers seizing your accounts and defend against password-related attacks. The ASD’s ACSC provides additional MFA tips and guidance: Protect yourself: Multi-factor authentication (ASD’s ACSC).

Always check payee details before making a payment. If a business you regularly engage with sends you an email with new bank details, or unexpectedly includes new banking details on an invoice, this could be a sign they have been targeted by business email compromise.

Be alert

Train your staff to look out for phishing and business email compromise. For example, if a staff member receives an email with an unusual request, they should verify the communication by contacting the sender using known and trusted contact details – not those on the email.

Consider introducing an approval process for changes to customer or supplier payment details and large transfers, and a reporting process to deal with threatening or time-sensitive demands made of staff.

If you come across a suspected phishing site, avoid accessing this directly as it could contain malware or allow scammers to track your activity.

Visit the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre for further information, including guidance on how businesses can protect against and recover from business email compromise.

ASIC’s reviews of scam practices

ASIC has undertaken reviews of the anti-scam practices of the Australian banks, and published reports with observations to assist financial services businesses with minimising the impact of scams on their customers.

• Report 761 Scam prevention, detection and response by the four major banks (REP 761)
• Report 790 Anti-scam practices of banks outside the four major banks (REP 790)

We are increasingly seeing consumers face risks from automated decisions, AI-driven interactions, and scams amplified by technology.

It is crucial for businesses to consider how they are managing AI governance risks, including in relation to preventing scams and responding to customers who have been scammed.

Additional resources

• Dealing with business impersonation scam resources (Scamwatch)
• Government resources and international frameworks (ASIC)

Disclaimer

The information above does not constitute legal advice and does not in any way obviate or derogate from any statutory legal obligations you have to detect, minimise and prevent scams affecting your consumers and business. The primary responsibility for legal obligations in this regard still remain with your business. We encourage you to seek your own professional advice to find out how the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and other applicable laws apply to you, as it is your responsibility to determine your obligations.