The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) warned that scammers are impersonating its Moneysmart website using lookalike webpages to capture consumers’ personal details and promote investment offers. ASIC urged consumers to verify they are on the legitimate domain, moneysmart.gov.au, before engaging with any Moneysmart content. ASIC said the fake sites can closely resemble Moneysmart pages and may link to genuine Moneysmart content to appear legitimate, while using urgency cues and promises of large returns for small initial payments (for example, AUD 300 or AUD 400). The regulator stressed that Moneysmart will never ask for personal information to promote investment options, contact consumers to propose investments, or ask for money to enter an investment option, and noted it is also aware of fake sites making false representations about government investment schemes. Consumers were advised to hang up and block contact from anyone claiming to be ASIC or Moneysmart offering investment advice, report impersonation websites to Scamwatch, and, if already scammed, stop further payments and contact their bank or financial institution to stop transactions, with escalation to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority if needed.
Australian Securities & Investments Commission 2025-10-16
Australian Securities & Investments Commission issues scam alert on fake websites impersonating Moneysmart
ASIC warns of scammers impersonating its Moneysmart website to capture personal details and promote fraudulent investments. These fake sites mimic Moneysmart pages, using urgency cues and promises of high returns. ASIC advises consumers to verify they are on the official domain, moneysmart.gov.au, and report impersonation websites to Scamwatch.