Financial regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), has warned that it is being impersonators by scammers.
In a statement released today, ASIC said scammers were sending emails and texts requesting that recipients provide a payment to enable funds or assets to be released.
It said consumers needed to note that:
- ASIC does not collect payments to enable the release of funds or assets
- ASIC does not provide guarantees of funds or assets release
- ASIC does not provide payments into a digital asset exchange
“ASIC is aware of a recent example where requests were made for payments in US dollars to release an investor’s funds,” the statement said.
“Offers such as these are recovery scams.”
ASIC said it did not allow the reproduction or use of its logo by a third party entity or guarantee any of its services.
“If you receive unsolicited contact claiming to be ASIC or an employee of ASIC, always confirm you are dealing legitimately with ASIC by hanging up the call and calling back on the number listed on the ASIC website,” ASIC said.
“ASIC will always include a contact in its communications with you, so you can verify the legitimacy of an ASIC-branded notification. You can also call us on 1300 935 075 from within Australia, and +61 1300 935 075 from overseas to verify the legitimacy of the communication.”
