Consumers warned about cold calling scam impersonating ASIC and other government departments

Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) – Australia’s corporate, markets and financial services regulator – urges consumers to be wary of cold callers claiming to represent ASIC or other government departments.

These cold callers ask for your personal and financial details.

These calls are a scam, and ASIC has warned anyone who is contacted to hang up and not respond.

If you think you have been a victim of this scam or believe your account may have been compromised, you should contact your credit union, building society or bank immediately.

If you receive a phone call or email out of the blue requesting your personal or banking information, hang up, forward the email on to your adviser and block the sender.

Never send money or give your financial details to someone you don’t trust or know.

If the caller or sender claims to be from a government agency or financial institution, remember that government departments and financial institutions would never ask you for your personal details via unsolicited calls, email or text message.

Disclaimer: This article is not legal advice and should not be relied on as such. Any advice in this document is general advice only and does not take into account the objectives, financial situation or needs of any particular person. You should obtain financial advice relevant to your circumstances before making investment decisions. Where a particular financial product is mentioned you should consider the Product Disclosure Statement before making any decisions in relation to the product. Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of this information, Australian Unity Personal Financial Services Ltd does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information. Australian Unity Personal Financial Services Ltd does not guarantee any particular outcome or future performance. Australian Unity Personal Financial Services Ltd is a registered tax (financial) adviser. Any views expressed are those of the author and do not represent the views of Australian Unity Personal Financial Services Ltd. If you intend to rely on any tax advice in this document you should seek advice from a tax professional. Australian Unity Personal Financial Services Ltd ABN 26 098 725 145, AFSL & Australian Credit Licence No. 234459, 114 Albert Road, South Melbourne, VIC 3205. This document produced in January 2016. © Copyright 2016