Trusted Verification Resources

Australian Regulators and Scam Reporting

Official Australian sources for checking licences, companies, virtual-asset providers and suspected scams.

A company may be registered as a business without holding the financial-services permissions required for a particular offer. Compare the legal entity, Australian Business Number, licence details, website and exact service being promoted.

Current situation — July 2026

Australia's AML/CTF reforms transitioned registered digital-currency exchange providers into a virtual-asset-service-provider framework from March 31, 2026. AUSTRAC registration requirements now apply to a broader range of virtual-asset activities. ASIC continues to apply the Corporations Act and financial-services licensing requirements to cryptoasset products that constitute financial products. Readers should verify current registration and licensing status directly with AUSTRAC and ASIC, as obligations and enforcement activity may change.

Official Sources

ASIC — Search Registers

Visit

https://asic.gov.au/online-services/search-asic-s-registers/

What it verifies:Company information, professional registers, financial-services licences and banned or disqualified persons.

Use it for:Checking the legal entity, licence holder and scope of permissions.

Important limitation:Company registration alone is not an Australian Financial Services licence or an investment endorsement.

ASIC — Resources to Help Avoid Scams

Visit

https://www.asic.gov.au/regulatory-resources/scams/use-asic-s-resources-to-help-avoid-scams/

What it verifies:Official guidance on licence checks, business checks and investor alerts.

Use it for:Following a structured check before responding to an investment offer.

Important limitation:A firm can still be impersonated. Match the details to the official record.

ASIC — Investment Scam Alerts

Visit

https://www.asic.gov.au/regulatory-resources/scams/investment-scam-alerts/

What it verifies:Current ASIC alerts about investment scams, unlicensed entities and impersonation.

Use it for:Checking a website, name or investment promotion against current warnings.

Important limitation:The alert list is not exhaustive.

Australian Business Register — ABN Lookup

Visit

https://abr.business.gov.au/

What it verifies:Australian Business Number, entity name, status and selected registration details.

Use it for:Confirming that an ABN matches the business presenting itself.

Important limitation:An ABN does not prove financial-services authorisation or product safety.

AUSTRAC

Visit

https://www.austrac.gov.au/

What it verifies:Official anti-money-laundering information and registration obligations for virtual-asset service providers.

Use it for:Understanding registration requirements for businesses exchanging cash and virtual assets.

Important limitation:AUSTRAC registration is not an investment endorsement and does not promise that customer funds are protected.

Scamwatch — Investment Scams

Visit

https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/types-of-scams/investment-scams

What it verifies:Official Australian scam warnings, prevention guidance and reporting direction.

Use it for:Recognising and reporting fake trading platforms, impersonation and other investment scams.

Important limitation:Scamwatch reporting does not guarantee recovery. Contact the bank or payment provider immediately.

ReportCyber

Visit

https://www.cyber.gov.au/report-and-recover/report

What it verifies:The Australian Government route for reporting cybercrime.

Use it for:Reporting online fraud, account compromise, ransomware, cryptocurrency crime and related cyber incidents.

Important limitation:For immediate danger contact police. Preserve digital evidence before changing or deleting accounts.

Australian Financial Complaints Authority

Visit

https://www.afca.org.au/make-a-complaint

What it verifies:Complaint information for eligible disputes involving member financial firms.

Use it for:Checking whether a complaint about a financial service can be considered.

Important limitation:Not every cryptoasset provider, transaction or loss falls within AFCA jurisdiction.

2026 virtual-asset transition

Australia's AML/CTF reforms transitioned registered digital-currency exchange providers into the virtual-asset-service-provider framework from March 31, 2026. Use current AUSTRAC information and terminology when checking obligations.

A safer verification routine

1.Start from the regulator or government website—not a link supplied by the person or company being checked.
2.Search the exact legal name as well as any trading name. Compare the website, telephone number, address and registration number.
3.Confirm that the listed permissions cover the service actually being offered. Registration for one activity does not automatically cover another.
4.Check warning lists, disciplinary records and recent alerts. A clean result is useful information, but it is not proof that an offer is safe.
5.Keep screenshots, URLs, transaction hashes, emails and messages if you may need to make a report.

Registration is not an endorsement

Appearing in a register may confirm a legal filing, licence, authorisation or anti-money-laundering registration. It does not mean that Australian authorities guarantee the product, approve its marketing claims, protect against market losses or promise that funds can be recovered.

External-link notice

External links are provided for independent verification and educational convenience. Fichtner Digital does not control third-party websites and does not endorse every statement, product or service they contain. Always confirm that the domain is official before entering personal information.

Found a broken or outdated link? Contact us and enter Resource Link Update in the subject field.

Last reviewed: July 25, 2026. This page does not provide legal, tax, accounting, financial or investment advice and does not determine whether any product or service is appropriate for a particular person.

Back to Resources How we evaluate

Educational purposes only. Not financial advice. All materials are provided for general educational purposes. They do not constitute financial, legal, tax, accounting or investment advice. Fichtner Digital does not provide regulated financial services.