Scammers are increasingly impersonating the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) through emails, text messages, fake websites, phone calls and social media. These messages can look surprisingly convincing and may use ASIC logos, official-looking documents, employee names and even sender IDs designed to make the communication appear genuine.
ASIC has specifically warned about scammers impersonating the agency to request payments, personal information, banking details and access to accounts.
If you have received an unexpected message claiming to be from ASIC, do not click any links, make payments or provide personal information until you have independently verified it.
What Are ASIC Scam Emails and Texts?
ASIC scam emails and texts are fraudulent communications designed to impersonate the Australian government regulator.
The scammers may claim that:
- Your business or company registration needs to be renewed.
- You have an outstanding ASIC fee.
- Your account or business registration has been suspended.
- ASIC has discovered suspicious activity involving your bank account.
- You are entitled to receive money, compensation or recovered funds.
- You must pay a fee before money or assets can be released.
- You need to confirm your identity or personal details.
- You need to click a link to update your ASIC information.
- You must transfer money to a supposedly secure bank account.
Some scams may direct recipients to fake ASIC websites designed to collect passwords, payment information and other sensitive details. ASIC has also warned about websites that closely imitate its legitimate websites.
Recent ASIC Text Message Scam Warning
In April 2025, ASIC warned that scammers were sending fraudulent SMS messages displaying “ASIC” as the sender name.
This is particularly concerning because an alpha tag can make a text message appear to come directly from a trusted organisation.
However, ASIC states that it does not send text messages using alpha tags and does not use SMS to ask people to update personal or financial information, renew business names, pay fees or transfer money.
Therefore, receiving an unexpected text message that appears to come from “ASIC” should be treated with extreme caution.
Examples of ASIC Scam Emails and Texts
A fraudulent message might say something like:
“Your ASIC business registration is about to expire. Click the link below to renew your registration.”
Another version could claim:
“ASIC has identified suspicious activity involving your bank account. Transfer your funds to our secure account immediately.”
Other scams may use a recovery-scam approach:
“ASIC has recovered your investment funds. Pay the required processing fee to release your money.”
These are examples of the type of language scammers may use, not genuine ASIC messages.
ASIC has warned that it does not ask people to transfer money between bank accounts and does not collect payments to release funds or assets.
How to Tell If an ASIC Email Is Fake
1. Check the sender’s email address
ASIC states that its email communications will come from an address ending in:
@asic.gov.au
For example, ASIC says business-name notifications specifically come from ASIC.Transaction.No-reply@asic.gov.au.
Be suspicious of addresses using:
- Gmail
- Outlook
- Hotmail
- Yahoo
- Random business domains
- Misspelled versions of ASIC
- Domains that merely look similar to
asic.gov.au
However, don’t rely on the sender address alone. Email addresses can be spoofed, and scammers can create convincing look-alike domains.
2. Look at the link before clicking
A scam email may contain a button such as:
“Renew Your Business Name”
“Verify Your ASIC Account”
“Pay Outstanding Fee”
“Release Your Funds”
Don’t click it.
Instead, open your browser and manually navigate to the official ASIC website.
ASIC has warned that fake websites can look almost identical to legitimate ASIC pages.
3. Beware of urgent threats
Scammers often create a sense of urgency.
A message may claim:
- Your registration will be cancelled today.
- You must pay within a few hours.
- Your account will be suspended.
- Legal action will begin immediately.
- Your funds will be frozen.
- You will lose your money unless you act now.
Urgency is a common social-engineering technique designed to prevent you from taking time to verify the claim.
4. Be suspicious of payment requests
ASIC does not ask people to transfer money between bank accounts or pay money to release funds or assets.
A message requesting payment through cryptocurrency, a personal bank account or an unusual payment method is a major warning sign.
5. Watch for requests for sensitive information
Be extremely cautious if a message asks you to provide:
- Banking information
- Credit card details
- Passwords
- One-time security codes
- Identity documents
- Full personal information
- Cryptocurrency wallet details
ASIC specifically states that it does not ask for passwords or one-time security PINs.
Fake ASIC Websites
ASIC impersonation scams don’t always stop at emails and texts.
Scammers can create websites that copy the appearance of ASIC’s legitimate website. Some may use domains that contain words such as “ASIC”, “ASIC Connect” or “government” to make them appear authentic.
ASIC warned in July 2025 that scammers had created websites impersonating ASIC Connect and asic.gov.au. Some of these websites reportedly copied legitimate content and even linked to genuine ASIC pages to make the fake sites appear trustworthy.
Always check the domain carefully before entering information.
ASIC identifies its genuine websites as including:
asic.gov.auservice.asic.gov.auconnectonline.asic.gov.auasicconnect.asic.gov.aupublishednotices.asic.gov.aucareers.asic.gov.aumoneysmart.gov.au
ASIC Recovery Scams
One particularly dangerous variation involves fake recovery services.
A scammer may claim that ASIC has located money you previously lost in an investment scam.
They might then demand:
- A release fee
- Administration charges
- Taxes
- Insurance fees
- Verification payments
- Cryptocurrency
- A security deposit
The promise is that once you pay, your money will supposedly be released.
This is a classic recovery scam.
ASIC states that it does not collect payments to release funds or assets and does not provide guarantees that funds or assets will be released.
If you have already lost money to an investment scam, be particularly careful about anyone who subsequently contacts you claiming they can recover it for a fee.
What to Do If You Receive an ASIC Scam Email or Text
If you receive a suspicious message claiming to be from ASIC:
- Do not click the links.
- Do not download attachments.
- Do not reply to the sender.
- Do not provide personal or banking information.
- Do not make a payment.
- Take a screenshot if appropriate for reporting.
- Verify the information independently through ASIC’s official website.
- Report the suspicious communication to ASIC.
- Delete the message after preserving the information needed for reporting.
ASIC recommends using its official channels to notify it about suspected impersonation scams.
ASIC — Scams impersonating ASIC
What If You Already Clicked the Link?
Don’t panic, but act quickly.
If you only clicked the link but did not enter information or download anything, close the website and avoid returning to it.
If you entered a password, change that password immediately, particularly if you use the same password elsewhere.
If you provided banking or card information, contact your bank or financial institution immediately and explain that your information may have been compromised.
If you downloaded a suspicious file, consider having your device checked for malware.
If you transferred money, contact your financial institution as soon as possible. The faster you report a fraudulent transaction, the better your chances may be of preventing or recovering funds.
How to Report an ASIC Impersonation Scam
ASIC provides an official process for reporting suspicious communications that impersonate the organisation.
You can submit an online inquiry with details of the suspicious communication and, where appropriate, an attachment or screenshot.
ASIC has also previously instructed recipients of certain fake ASIC emails to forward the entire email to ReportASICEmailFraud@asic.gov.au. For the most current reporting instructions, check ASIC’s official scam page before sending anything.
You can also report scams to Australia’s official Scamwatch service.
How to Contact ASIC Safely
If you are unsure whether an email, text or phone call is genuinely from ASIC, don’t use the contact details contained in the suspicious message.
Instead, obtain ASIC’s contact information independently from its official website.
ASIC advises consumers to independently verify suspicious communications rather than relying on information supplied by the suspected scammer.
ASIC Scam Emails and Texts: Red Flags Checklist
Watch out for messages containing several of these warning signs:
- Unexpected contact claiming to be from ASIC
- Pressure to act immediately
- Requests for money
- Requests to transfer funds
- Cryptocurrency payment requests
- Requests for passwords or security codes
- Requests for banking details
- Suspicious links
- Unexpected attachments
- Poor spelling or unusual wording
- A look-alike ASIC domain
- An email address that doesn’t end in
@asic.gov.au - Claims that ASIC will release money after you pay a fee
- Claims that ASIC has guaranteed an investment
- Requests to communicate through WhatsApp, Telegram or another private messaging service
ASIC specifically says it does not initiate chats through social media or contact consumers through private messaging services such as WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ASIC send text messages?
ASIC has warned that it does not send SMS messages using alpha tags. An unexpected text displaying “ASIC” as the sender should therefore be treated cautiously and independently verified.
Does ASIC send emails?
Yes. ASIC does communicate with customers by email in legitimate circumstances. ASIC states that its emails come from addresses ending in @asic.gov.au.
Does ASIC ask people to pay to release funds?
No. ASIC states that it does not collect payments to release funds or assets.
Can scammers fake an ASIC email address?
Scammers can use look-alike domains and other techniques to make communications appear legitimate. Therefore, don’t rely solely on the sender name. Independently access ASIC’s official website and verify the communication.
Is an ASIC logo proof that an email is genuine?
No. Scammers can copy government logos, employee names, documents and website designs.
What should I do with a fake ASIC text?
Do not respond or click its links. Take a screenshot if useful for reporting, block the sender and report the suspected impersonation through ASIC’s official channels. ASIC specifically advises deleting fraudulent SMS messages after taking appropriate reporting steps.
Final Verdict: Are ASIC Scam Emails and Texts Real?
ASIC impersonation scams are real, and consumers should be cautious when receiving unexpected emails, SMS messages, phone calls or websites claiming to represent ASIC.
The presence of an ASIC logo or even an “ASIC” sender name does not automatically mean a message is genuine. Scammers have demonstrated that they can imitate government agencies, create convincing websites and use fake documents to gain victims’ trust.
The safest approach is simple:
Stop. Check. Protect.
Don’t click suspicious links, don’t transfer money because of an unexpected message, and don’t provide sensitive information until you have independently verified the communication through ASIC’s official channels.
