Scam warning - ASIC Business Name Renewal - LETTER
Please be on the look out for a scam letter that is doing the rounds at the moment. The letter prompts the business owner to renew their business name through a BNrenewal website.
The ASIC have confirmed that this correspondence is not from them.
The ASIC will send the business name holder a reminder notice by email 30 days before the renewal is due.
Look out for the following on how to determine if the letter is from ASIC:
the letter will be signed off by Rosanne Bell - Senior Executive Leader - Registry
refer to your company or business name specifically
contain a website or email address that ends in asic.gov.au (if email, hover your mouse over the email links in the body of the email to check)
the fees maybe different to ASIC prescribed fees
Third party's are able to obtain information about your business via the ASIC Business Name Index. This search allows anyone to see what information ASIC holds about a particular business name.
The ASIC Business Name Index includes the following free information:
current business name details (name, date registered, status, next renewal date and ABN)
current address for service of documents
business name holder name and type; and
The picture below shows what the scam letter looks like.
If the letter you received does not contain the features listed above, dispose the letter immediately without opening any links in the letter.
You can also visit the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's ScamWatch for more information.
For information on protecting yourself from a scam have a look on ASIC's consumer website MoneySmart.
If you are ever unsure about a letter or email you receive, please contact our office for clarification.