What are the financial losses targeted by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission initiative?

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission introduced this tracking program to address a scam landscape that caused $248.3 million in reported losses during the first quarter of 2026.

How is the Australian Securities and Investments Commission managing its regulatory enforcement headcount and operations?

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission currently runs a dedicated scam-disruption unit that eliminates roughly 130 fraudulent web pages every week.

What are the timeline expectations for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission database roll-out?

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission stated that the register is expected to load most licensee web addresses within the coming months, following invitations sent to 6,500 firms since May.

How does the Australian Securities and Investments Commission model compare to global regulatory practices?

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is adopting a preventative framework that mirrors global watchdogs like the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom, which also routes consumers to official state registers.

Image for illustrative purposes only. Not a real photo.

ASIC launches public database to fight scams

Written by Heidi Cuthbert Published Jun 17, 2026, 9:59 PM

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is building a public directory of verified website addresses used by licensed financial firms to combat clone investment scams.
While the digital initiative does not directly impact traded stock equities, the regulator is targeting a broader scam landscape that accounted for $248.3 million in reported losses during the first quarter of 2026.
The regulator aims to transition from a reactive takedown strategy to a preventative whitelist model that authenticates genuine financial entities for consumers and digital platforms.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has launched an initiative to publish a verified list of licensee website addresses on its Professional Registers Search database to prevent scammers from cloning legitimate financial brands.

The shifts the focus of the regulator from reactive internet takedowns, which removed more than 10,000 fraudulent pages over the past two years, to a preventative verification model.

"We may consider using compulsory powers to achieve a complete register, if required," said ASIC Commissioner Alan Kirkland.

The registry will display principal corporate websites or additional domains or indicate if an entity has not yet provided its details, following a first quarter in 2026 where automated tracking systems logged 60,657 scam reports.

The regulator stated that the verification system is expected to help digital and social media platforms vet financial advertising more effectively before fraudulent campaigns are published.

The implementation follows a trend where international watchdogs, including the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom, routinely direct retail investors to official state registers to verify credentials.

The operational expansion builds on a 50% increase in enforcement actions during the last reporting year of the watchdog, which currently manages a scam-disruption unit that eliminates roughly 130 fraudulent pages per week.