The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is actively monitoring instances of scammers exploiting its identity, particularly on social media and messaging platforms.
In a statement on LinkedIn, ASIC said the fraudulent activities involve scammers falsely claiming to assist consumers in recovering funds lost through initial scams, all under the guise of a fee.
“We will never ask for money or crypto-assets to retrieve funds that have been invested or lost by consumers. If you have been scammed, and someone offers to help recover money, it's a scam. The best thing to do is ignore the contacts and report it to Scamwatch,” ASIC said.
ASIC emphasised that it would never demand payment for the recovery of lost funds, goods, or services, nor endorse specific investments. Genuine ASIC emails are dispatched from [email protected], exclusively relating to renewal notices sent via email 30 days before the renewal date.
“If you have received a suspicious email from ASIC, you can notify us by [sending] us an online inquiry with details and/or an attachment of the suspicious email [or deleting] the suspicious email,” it said. “Our team will review your online inquiry and will reach out to you if we need further information. Alternatively, you can call ASIC's Customer Contact Centre on 1300 300 630 for verification if you are unsure whether you have received the email from ASIC.”
In other news, ASIC recently released guidance for Far North Queensland (FNQ) communities affected by ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper.