Recently a fraudulent email mimicking the ASIC has been sent out to thousands of business owners throughout Australia, asking the recipient to renew their company name.
The email comes across as legitimate with all the correct branding of the ASIC and the commission’s privacy policy appearing down the bottom.
When the recipient clicks on the hyperlink titled “Renewal letter” they are transferred to a website where a file containing malware is downloaded onto the computer they are using. It is not entirely known what kind of malware it is however it could be ransomware, a virus or a facility to download user’s login details from the PC.
One way to determine whether the email you receive is legitimate or not is by looking at the email address it is sent from. Generally speaking, the email address from the ASIC ends with “@asic.gov.au” (like their web address). In some of the fake ASIC emails we have seen, email addresses written as “@asic.gov.com” or “@asic.gov.au.com” and even “@australiangovernments.com”.
Example of fake email
ASIC do not send emails regarding company name renewals, and if your company is under an ASIC Registered Agent and Office like Rubiix Business Accountants, generally you should not receive emails from the ASIC. Usually any correspondence from the ASIC is sent to the Registered Agent and Office of the company.
If you are not sure, please contact our office for clarification before clicking on any hyperlinks within emails and most importantly, ensure your anti-virus software is up to date on your computer.