If a company contacts you to offer investment opportunities or a loan, be wary. It could be a scam. Use our list of unlicensed companies to know which companies to avoid.
Check our list of unlicensed companies
If a company is on this list, do not deal with them.
Download the list of companies you should not deal with.
The companies on this list:
- have made unsolicited calls and emails about financial services or products
- do not hold a current Australian financial services (AFS) licence or Australian credit licence from ASIC
If a company is not on this list, they could still be a scammer.
This is not a complete list of unlicensed companies in Australia. See what you should do if a company is not on this list below.
What to do if a company is not on this list
Check to see if the company is licensed in Australia or overseas, and make sure you're not dealing with an imposter.
Make sure the company is licensed
By law, Australian financial services companies need an AFS licence to operate in Australia. So do most overseas companies. Search ASIC Connect's Professional Registers to see if a company is licensed.
Choose 'Australian Financial Services Licensee' and 'Australian Financial Services Authorised Representative' in the drop-down menu when you search.
If they're not licensed, don't deal with them. Report them to ASIC.
Check international registers
If the company is overseas, check with the regulatory body in that country to see if they're licensed. The International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) lists the regulatory bodies for most countries.
You can also use IOSCO's alert portal for warnings about international companies.
Verify the regulator
To gain your trust, companies may say they're regulated by an overseas organisation. If the regulator is on our list of fake regulators and exchanges, do not deal with them.
Beware of imposters
Scammers may pretend to be a company that you have dealt with before and trust.
Make sure you're dealing with the company you know and not an imposter:
- Cross-check the phone number or email with the details on their website.
- Ask for the company's address and make sure it's registered with the regulator.
Protect yourself from scams
The best way to protect yourself is to do your homework. Research a company before you sign up for an investment, loan or financial service.
Find out how to spot, report and protect yourself from scams: