How to spot a scam website

Last updated: 17 August 2026

Scam websites can look professional, polished and trustworthy. Some deliberately misuse familiar logos, fake news stories, celebrity images, convincing reviews and AI-generated content to make a scam look real.

Can you spot a fake?

These days, websites can be easy to set up and look professional without much effort. Some scam websites impersonate real businesses, government agencies, banks, news organisations or investment platforms. Others create a completely fake business that looks real online. 

In the 2025/26 financial year ASIC took down more than 19,400 scams – an increase of 182% on the previous year. This included: 

• 7,051 fake investment platforms 
• 5,476 phishing scam hyperlinks 
• 3,106 cryptocurrency investment scams    

So, whether you’re visiting the website of your bank, insurer, or a government agency, how can you be sure you’re in the right place? 

First, check the URL

 Some scam websites are designed to look like trusted organisations, such as government agencies, banks or well-known businesses. 

You might be directed to these fake websites through a phishing email, an online advertisement, or a search engine result. 

Before clicking a link, check where it will take you. On a computer, you can hover your mouse over the link to see the URL (web address). If the URL looks suspicious or different from what you expected, don't click it. 

If you do follow a link, check the URL of the webpage before entering any personal or financial information. Make sure you're on the website you intended to visit. 

The URL appears in the address bar at the top of your browser. 

You can also check the URL of any links on a webpage simply by hovering your mouse over the link.

How to check if a website is legit

Not all scam websites are impersonations – many are falsely pretending to be a real business with their own, unique brand name.  

Scammers will create scam brands, use unique phrases or words, and build an online footprint of supportive news articles, positive reviews, ads and websites that work together to deceive consumers.  

Potential investors may be taken from an ad on a well-known platform to a fake news article featuring celebrity endorsements and fabricated public comments supporting the investment. 

1. Search for scam alerts and warnings

You can check for scam alerts in a few ways:

• Check the investor alert list to see if ASIC has warned about the website or the entity operating the website.
• Search for the URL or business name and the word ‘scam’ or 'recovery scam' to see if consumers have warned others about losing money to this website.
• Check for international regulator warnings via International Securities & Commodities Alerts Network (I-SCAN).

2. Check how old the website is

Scam websites are often online for a short period of time before they get shut down or move on to a new website.

You can check how old a website is by searching for ‘WHOIS search’ via lookup.icann.org. The ‘Registered On’ date is the date that a website was created. A newly created website is a red flag.

3. Look closely at the website content

Claims that seem too good to be true: Be wary of websites promising guaranteed returns, exclusive investment opportunities or unusually large discounts. 

Reviews that seem unusually positive: Fake reviews are increasingly common. Be cautious if reviews all sound similar or feel overly enthusiastic. 

Stock image staff photos: A fake website may use AI generated or stock photos for members of its staff. It’s easy to check where an image comes from with a free reverse image search offered by a number of well-known search engines. 

No licensing information for financial services: If the business is offering investments or other financial services, they should display licence and registration details clearly. Even if they do display license and registration details, though, check that they're accurate by using ASIC’s Professional Registers Search. 

4. Check the contact channels

A legitimate business should make it easy to confirm who they are and how to contact them. 

Look for a physical address, phone number, email address, and social accounts, then check whether they appear in independent sources. 

You can: 

• Search for the business name and compare the contact details shown on the website with those listed in business directories, official registers or social media profiles. 
• Check whether the address appears to be a real business location using online maps or street view services. 
• Call the phone number and ask questions about the business before sharing personal information or sending money. 
• Check whether the phone number, address and website details are consistent across different sources. 

For financial services businesses, verify the business and its contact details, including its website, using ASIC's Professional Registers Search. 

Be wary if a website only offers communication via anonymous web forms, chat bots and instant messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram instead of providing a physical address and telephone number.

 

 

How to verify that a business is legitimate

In Australia, companies or people offering investments must have an Australian Financial Services (AFS) licence, or be authorised by someone who does. 

Here’s how to check on a company or person: 

If they say they are:	Check this:
Licensed by ASIC (AFS licence) An authorised representative for a licensee (with an AFS licence)	ASIC's Professional Registers Search enter the name, Australian Business Number, Australian Company Number or licence number select Register: Australian financial services licensee in drop-down menu if a website URL is listed in the register, check that it matches any website URL you have been using ASIC Connect search within: Banned and Disqualified see if they have been banned from giving financial advice or managing a company Moneysmart Investor Alert List this is a list of suspicious companies, businesses and websites. They may be unlicensed or impersonating a real company or licensee.
A financial adviser who can advise you on, or sell you, an investment	Financial advisers register enter name, adviser number, or Australian Business Number check what they are authorised to advise on
Offering an investment in a registered managed investment scheme	ASIC's Professional Registers Search  enter the scheme name, Australian Business Number, or Australian Company Number   check the scheme is registered  Note that registration does not mean that ASIC endorses the investment

Report all scams to Scamwatch

Scamwatch, run by the National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC), collates information about all scam types. They use this information to warn and protect the public. Scamwatch also sends information to other agencies, including ASIC and ReportCyber, to help stop scammers. Report all scams, including investment scams, to Scamwatch.