ASIC has published a new investor alert list to assist consumers in identifying whether an entity they are thinking of investing in might be fraudulent, a scam, or unlicensed.
Sarah Court (pictured above), ASIC deputy chair, cautioned against unlicensed and fraudulent investment opportunities, emphasising their potential to inflict severe financial and non-financial damage and undermine consumer trust and confidence.
“There are bad actors out there, and while we can’t avoid being targeted, having access to the right information can help consumers better protect themselves,” Court said in a media release.
The new investor alert list replaces the previous list of “Companies you should not deal with” and includes both domestic and international entities that the regulator is concerned are operating and offering services in Australia without the necessary licenses, exemptions, authorisations, or permissions.
ASIC’s new scam prevention tool also identifies “impostor” entities that impersonate or falsely claim to be associated with a legitimate business, commonly known as impersonation scams.
The corporate watchdog has also updated its investor checklist, offering consumers essential information on steps to take before making an investment.
“At launch, our investor alert list includes 52 unlicensed entities and 25 websites impersonating legitimate entities,” Court said.
ASIC said it will keep expanding the list, but it may not cover all potential scams. Some websites or entities engaged in scam activities may not be included in the list if ASIC is unaware of them.
“ASIC is calling on industry and consumers to assist us in identifying suspicious investment websites by reporting them to Scamwatch to assist our investigations and actions,” Court said.
To report a suspicious website as a potential investment scam, please follow this link. If unclear about the nature of the scam, report it to scamwatch.gov.au.
ASIC said it plans to release a series of articles as part of its Alert Investor campaign, to assist consumers in making informed investment choices and guiding them on available resources. The regulator has also refreshed its check before you invest page with the most up-to-date resources, registers, and materials people can review prior to making investment decisions.
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