ASIC has issued a warning about a surge in scam emails impersonating ASIC and targeting Business Registrations. These fraudulent emails attempt to trick individuals and businesses into handing over personal information and paying fees.

Scammers impersonating the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) are ramping up their tactic. This time targeting companies during their annual review period. What began as fraudulent activity around business name renewals has now evolved into a more widespread and deceptive scheme designed to trap unsuspecting business owners.

Traditionally, scammers have exploited the public ASIC registry by contacting businesses about renewing their business names. Now, they’ve shifted focus to ASIC’s annual company review.

Scammers are sending out misleading documents to registered office addresses, requesting payment of inflated fees. These documents are designed to look official but often include subtle disclaimers. Businesses should be aware that ASIC's current annual review fee is $342 for a proprietary company ($70 for a special purpose company), while a business name renewal costs $47 for one year or $108 for three years.

Only trust paperwork that arrives from ASIC by email or mail, or from your trusted ASIC registered agent, i.e. Forsyths.

Why is this so dangerous?

• Highly targeted: Scammers use publicly available data.
• Deceptively professional: The documents mimic ASIC branding and formatting.
• Growing frequency: ASIC and cybersecurity experts have noted a sharp rise in impersonation scams.

What You Should Know

• ASIC will never send documents asking for payment outside its official channels.
• Genuine ASIC emails come from ASIC.Transaction.No-reply@asic.gov.au.
• Annual review fees are clearly listed on ASIC’s website.
• Scam documents often include disclaimers to avoid legal liability while still misleading recipients.

What should I do?

• Be vigilant: Verify the information before you pay. Always cross-check fees and correspondence with ASIC’s official website.
• Report suspicious activity: Forward scam emails or documents to ASIC.
• Educate your team: Make sure staff handling mail or finances are aware of these tactics.
• Never trust unsolicited payment requests.

These scams are becoming increasingly harder to spot. Make sure to always read information carefully first and stay informed.
Here is an example of a misleading document below.