Use ASIC’s resources to help avoid scams

Scams cause significant financial and non-financial harm to Australians. This guidance is aimed at reducing the impact of investment scams through the use of ASIC’s resources.

Make use of ASIC’s resources before you invest

If you're offered an opportunity to invest, check that the company has an Australian financial services (AFS) licence or Australian credit licence by searching ASIC’s Professional Registers. Also check:

• the licence number and company details you are provided match what is on ASIC's registers, and
• the licence conditions to make sure the company is licensed to provide the financial services it is offering and if it is authorised to provide services to retail and/or wholesale clients.

From June 2026, AFS licensee website addresses will also begin to be published on ASIC’s Professional Registers, to enable consumers and businesses to check that they are dealing with genuine AFS licensee websites. For more information, see AFS licensees: Providing and updating website addresses through the Regulatory Portal.

If you are unsure, seek advice as to whether you are classified as a retail or wholesale client – including if you are investing as a business. Retail clients receive the benefit of important statutory protections, which do not apply to wholesale clients. This includes protections related to information disclosure (Financial Services Guides and Product Disclosure Statements), dispute resolution and access to the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort.

Do not rely on information given to you. Always verify any information through independent sources. This can include searching for an entity’s details online, rather than relying on those provided in an email or phone call.

You can check ASIC’s Investor Alert List to keep informed about companies, businesses and websites that could be fraudulent, a scam or unlicensed, as well as the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) I-SCAN warnings.

If a company is offering shares or interests in a managed investment scheme, you can use ASIC’s Offer Notice Board to see if the company has lodged a disclosure document with us.

ASIC also provides guidance on steps you can take to check another business is trustworthy before deciding whether to deal with them. This includes, checking:

• the business is registered and has an Australian Business Number (ABN) through Australian Business Register’s ABN Lookup
• who the directors are, and
• the company is registered and not under external administration before dealing with it.

Some of this information is available for free.

Use your search results to answer the following questions:

• how long has the company been in business under its current name?
• what’s the company’s status? Is it registered, deregistered or under external administration?
• does the company have an ABN, and if so, how long has it had one? Does ABN Lookup show that it is registered for GST? The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) provides further information on when business has to register for GST: Registering for GST.
• who are the directors and company officers? How long have they been with the company?
• what’s the company’s share capital? Is it a $2 company or does it have more capital?
• what are the company’s financial details?
• are any of the directors disqualified from acting in management? Check ASIC’s Banned and disqualified registers, and
• what other companies are the directors and company officers involved in? Are any of those failed companies?

For more preventative steps you can take, visit Moneysmart’s Protect yourself from scams page.

Scam red flags

Moneysmart has information on different types of financial services scams and their red flags, including:

• Investment scams
• Banking and credit scams
• Superannuation scams
• Imposter bond investment scams
• Crypto scams
• How to spot a scam website

Scamwatch, run by the National Anti-Scams Centre (NASC) says: