Combating investment scams

What is an investment scam?

An investment scam is a counterfeit investment opportunity presented to individuals by scammers who may impersonate real people from financial service firms. The scammers often present extremely appealing “too good to be true” investment opportunities through one or more highly convincing interactions, supported by sophisticated fake materials, such as disclosure documents, application material, product reviews, apps and websites.

How can I avoid being scammed?

Treat any unsolicited contact from financial service firms or individuals who are not your trusted financial adviser with suspicion. First Sentier Investors does not make direct contact with prospective individual investors regarding investment opportunities.

What are some indicators of an investment scam?

• Unexpected or unsolicited communications via phone, email, instant messaging or other social media platforms. These communications may prompt you to click on malicious links or open embedded documents from unknown sources, scan QR codes or provide your details over the phone
• The offers often seem “too good to be true” and may be in the form of a promising high returns with little to no risk, a guaranteed minimum returns, claims that the government or a regulatory authority guarantees investments or exclusive invitation-only opportunities
• Communications are likely to create a sense of urgency or threat and may ask you to provide personal information or provide urgent payment
• There may be minor spelling or grammatical errors in any text, in messages or materials provided
• Check original email address as it may look unusual or be from a webmail address, e.g. Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.

What should I do if I think I am the target of a scam?

• Report the scam to the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) using the online reporting tool on the ASIC website and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) via its scamwatch service
• If you suspect you are being targeted with any fake or copy websites, or that your identity has been obtained or is being used by someone else, you can file a complaint the Australian Cyber Security Centre
• If you receive any unsolicited contact from persons purporting to be representatives of First Sentier Investors please do not respond to it, notify us by email via [email protected].

Is there any additional information or resources available to help me identify potential scams?

• For current alerts on scams: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au
• For general information on your online safety: https://www.staysmartonline.gov.au
• For learning more about recognising and reporting scams: https://www.cyber.gov.au/learn/scams
• For information about protecting your identity: https://www.idcare.org