Scammers hit ASIC customers
Small businesses are a ready target for scammers, with the latest scam targeting innocent companies trying to do the right thing.
‘ASIC’ email scam
ASIC announced today that scammers pretending to be from ASIC have been contacting Registry customers by email, requesting that they pay fees and provide personal information to renew their business or company name (click here to view an example of a scam email). It has also been reported that these phishing emails may contain malware and links to invoices with false payment details.
ASIC has advised that emails are most likely to be a scam if they ask you to:
- make a payment over the phone
- make a payment to receive a refund, or
- provide your credit card or bank details directly by email or phone.
If you think you have received a scam email, ASIC has requested recipients to immediately forward the entire email to ReportASICEmailFraud@asic.gov.au or contact ASIC on 1300 300 630.
Trade mark scam
Similar phishing emails are often sent to trade mark registrants asking them to provide personal information and pay fees associated with trade marks or domain names. Further information is contained in our previous article on this scam (please click here to read).
Small business
The ACCC Scamwatch website contains useful information on common scams and steps you can take to protect your small business.
This publication covers legal and technical issues in a general way. It is not designed to express opinions on specific cases. It is intended for information purposes only and should not be regarded as legal advice. Further advice should be obtained before taking action on any issue dealt with in this publication.
