ASIC warns public regarding crypto scam appasiccoin.org
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is alerting investors about a suspicious website, appasiccoin.org, using crypto to scam Australians.
The operators of the website mislead investors by claiming its investments are endorsed by ASIC. The operators also do not have an Australian financial services (AFS) licence. The regulator notes that it does not endorse it or any other investments.
The appasiccoin.org also does not have the permission to use ASIC’s name and has no affiliation with ASIC.
The regulator notes that appasiccoin.org is suspicious because it claims to be endorsed by ASIC. ASIC never gives permission to use its name or logo to promote financial products or services. You should be wary of any website or advertisement that states or implies that the investment they promote is approved by ASIC or Moneysmart, or uses ASIC’s logo – it could be a scam.
Further, the website uses encrypted messaging facilities to promote the scam and provides limited contact information.
Investors are encouraged to report to ASIC if they notice ASIC’s logo, references to Moneysmart or ASIC staff on a company’s promotional materials. Include a link to the website or a screenshot. Your report may disrupt the scammers and hopefully will warn others to avoid it. Unfortunately, ASIC cannot help you get your money back.