The Australian Securities & Investments Commission has warned companies and business name holders about unsolicited letters, emails and notices from third-party service providers offering help with company annual reviews or business name renewals. ASIC said some of these communications may create the impression they are authorised by or sent from ASIC, even though the providers are independent. Businesses do not have to use a third-party provider for these tasks and can complete them directly with ASIC or through their existing registered agent. ASIC highlighted several warning signs, including notices that look like invoices, refer to renewals that are not yet due, use urgent payment deadlines or discounts, and quote a combined amount without separating the provider's fee from the ASIC fee. The regulator said third-party providers that send unsolicited offers must not misrepresent themselves as ASIC, must clearly state they are independent, must distinguish their service fee from ASIC's fee, and must make clear the offer is not an invoice and does not require payment. To verify authenticity, recipients should check that ASIC emails end in @asic.gov.au, compare charges with ASIC's published fees, and confirm through ASIC Connect or the Company Officeholder Portal whether a renewal or annual review is actually due. ASIC said suspicious communications claiming to be from the regulator should not be acted on until their legitimacy is confirmed and can be reported to ASIC through an online enquiry with details or an attachment of the communication.

Original source Back to tracker