If you’ve recently received a letter or email about renewing your company registration or completing an annual ASIC review, please stop before you do anything, and definitely before you pay.
A number of Australian company owners and directors are currently receiving official-looking correspondence from private companies with names like “Registry Australia” and “Registration.” These letters are designed to look like they’ve come from ASIC. They haven’t. And you are not required to pay them anything.
ASIC published a public alert on 22 May 2026 warning company directors and business name holders about exactly this type of unsolicited correspondence. We want to make sure every Paris Financial client sees this before they act.
Why this is more serious than a simple overcharge
If a client pays one of these letters and unknowingly authorises a third party to act on their behalf, that company can be transferred away from your registered ASIC agent, meaning away from our office. When this happens, our team has to lodge a formal application with ASIC to have you reinstated with us. It’s a frustrating and time-consuming process that is completely avoidable with the right information.
What these letters look like
These notices are genuinely convincing. They arrive by post or email, reference your actual company name and ABN, include a review date, and quote a fee, typically between $449 and $495. Some offer a discount for early payment to manufacture urgency. They include payment options via credit card, BPAY, and QR code, which adds to the impression that this is a legitimate bill you need to settle.
Buried right at the bottom, in fine print, you’ll find a disclaimer along the lines of: “This is not a review notice issued by ASIC. This is not a bill. You are not required to pay any money.”
By the time most people reach that line, the letter has already done its job.
Who is actually sending these?
The companies behind these notices are private, third-party service providers. Some may technically be registered ASIC agents, meaning they can perform company review tasks, but only if you have specifically authorised them to do so. What they cannot do is send unsolicited correspondence that creates the impression it has come from ASIC.
ASIC has been clear: these providers are not ASIC, and any company that contacts you out of the blue about a review or renewal without prior authorisation is not acting on ASIC’s behalf, regardless of how official the letter appears.
How to tell the difference
Genuine ASIC communication will:
- Come from an email address ending in @asic.gov.au
- Direct you to complete any action through ASIC Connect or the Company Officeholder Portal
- Charge only the published ASIC fee with no additional service fees on top
- Be sent to your registered agent, your ASIC online account, or your nominated company address
Why Paris Financial clients should pay particular attention
If you are a Paris Financial client, we are sending you this warning because we are your registered ASIC agent, which encompasses a range of valuable and proactive services you have entrusted to us:
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- We ensure you are reminded to pay ASIC the annual renewal fee for your company,
- We ensure annual compliance with Corporations Act requirements,
- We complete and document an annual liquidity statement as part of this Corporations Act compliance,
- We ensure that your company fulfills its requirements in a timely basis,
- We ensure general housekeeping of shareholder addresses; office holders addresses and resignations etc (fair use applies)
- The above is more than simply facilitating a payment to ASIC, which is what these 3rd party scams are doing
A letter is likely not from ASIC if:
- It comes from a company using a name like “Registry”, “Registration”, or similar
- The fee quoted is significantly higher than ASIC’s published rates
- It uses urgent language or offers a discount for paying early
- It references a review date that isn’t actually due yet
- The fine print clarifies that it is not a bill and payment is optional
If you’re ever unsure, you can contact our friendly team or log in directly to ASIC Connect at connect.asic.gov.au or call ASIC on 1300 300 630 to confirm whether a review is genuinely due.
What to do if you receive one
- Do not pay. These letters are not bills. You have no obligation to pay a third party you did not engage.
- Do not call the number on the letter. Contacting the sender may result in you being signed up for ongoing services you never requested.
- Get rid of it. If it arrived by post, it can go in the bin. If it arrived by email, delete it.
- Call Paris Financial, and our staff will check and ensure this is coming from us or at least the right channel, (03) 8393 1000.
- Check your actual ASIC obligations separately. If you’re unsure whether your company review is genuinely due, contact our team or log in to ASIC Connect directly to check. Your real annual review fee is published on the ASIC website and will be significantly lower than what these letters charge.
- Report it if you choose. If you believe you’ve received misleading correspondence, you can submit an enquiry through the ASIC website or report it to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au.
If you’ve already paid, contact your bank promptly to discuss your options and get in touch with our team immediately so we can assess what needs to happen with your ASIC registration.
Why these scams keep working
These letters are effective because they tap into a genuine concern. Company annual reviews are a real compliance obligation and missing them does carry consequences. The people behind these notices know that business owners are busy, that deadlines can creep up, and that a letter referencing your actual company name and ABN feels credible. The best protection is simply knowing the process. ASIC will always contact you through official channels, will never pressure you with urgency tactics or early payment discounts, and will never charge more than its published fees.
Not sure if something you’ve received is legitimate?
Forward it to our team before you take any action and we’ll check it for you.
