ASIC to Add Licensee Website Addresses to Public Register

Australias financial regulator is preparing to add website addresses used by licensed financial firms to its public register, giving consumers another way to check whether a broker, fund or financial services provider is genuine.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is collecting website details from Australian financial services licensees and plans to publish them through its Professional Registers Search. The aim is to make it easier for the public to compare a website with the official record of the licensed firm behind it.

[Insert Image 1: ASIC Professional Registers Search or licensee website register example]

A response to clone websites

The move comes as clone scams continue to use the names, licence numbers and branding of real financial firms. In these cases, a fake website may look similar to a licensed companys official page, while directing users to a different domain controlled by scammers.

ASIC has already been removing fraudulent websites and investment scam pages, but the new register takes a different approach. Instead of only publishing warnings after a suspicious site appears, the regulator is trying to build a verified list of legitimate website addresses.

More than 6,500 licensees have been asked to provide their website details. The register is expected to show a firms main website, any additional websites, whether it has no website, or whether it has not yet submitted the information.

Why the website field matters

Public registers are already an important tool for checking whether a financial firm is licensed. Regulators in many markets publish company names, licence numbers, addresses, approved activities and regulatory status.

However, those records do not always clearly show the exact website used by the licensed firm. That gap can be exploited by clone sites, especially when fraudsters copy a real company name and licence number but use a slightly different domain.

Adding website addresses gives users a more direct check. A firm may have a valid licence, but if the website being promoted is not listed as one of that firms official domains, users should treat it with caution.

[Insert Image 2: Example comparison between official register details and a suspicious website domain]

Other regulators also rely on public registers

ASICs plan follows a broader pattern among financial regulators. In the UK, Europe and other markets, official public registers are commonly used as the first place to verify whether a firm is authorised.

Some regulators also publish warning lists for unauthorised firms and clone websites. These lists help identify suspicious platforms, but they usually work after the risk has already been found. ASICs website-address register is more focused on confirming the legitimate side first.

That distinction matters. A blacklist shows what has been flagged. A verified website list helps users check whether the site they are visiting belongs to the licensed firm in the first place.

Participation may become more formal

For now, licensees are being asked to provide their website details voluntarily. ASIC has indicated that stronger measures could be considered if the register remains incomplete.

The regulator also wants consumers to question firms whose website information is missing from the public record. Digital platforms and social media companies may also be encouraged to use the register when reviewing financial advertisements.

The practical message is simple: checking the company name is no longer enough. Users should also compare the website address, licence number and official register details before submitting personal information or transferring funds.

About WikiFX

WikiFX is a global broker information platform that provides broker profiles, licence records, regulatory updates, risk alerts, and user exposure data to help users review a platforms public compliance background.