media release (25-052MR)

ASIC warns of threat from “hydra-like” scammers after obtaining court orders to shut down 95 companies

Published

ASIC is warning consumers to remain vigilant when engaging with online investment websites and mobile applications after successfully applying to wind-up 95 companies, many of which ASIC believes may be associated with online investment and romance baiting scams, also known as ‘pig butchering’ scams.

The Federal Court granted ASIC’s application to wind-up the 95 companies on just and equitable grounds after ASIC found most of the companies had been incorporated with false information.

The Court agreed with ASIC in finding that there was a justifiable lack of confidence in the conduct and management of each of the 95 companies, with Justice Stewart calling the case for winding up each company “overwhelming”.

Many of the companies were also associated with websites and apps, which ASIC believes may have been involved in facilitating suspected scam activity by tricking consumers into making investments in phoney foreign exchange, digital assets or commodities trading. ASIC has taken steps to have numerous related websites and apps taken down.

ASIC Deputy Chair Sarah Court said, “ASIC believes many of these companies were set up with the aim of providing a veneer of credibility by purporting to provide genuine services.  This action has shut these companies down and protects consumers from entities with no proper management or control, including some that were associated with potentially fraudulent activity.”

Ms Court said that scammers were using increasingly complex techniques to target their victims, including setting up sham companies and professional looking websites and apps, to lull victims into a false sense of security. ASIC also suspects that, in some cases, the companies were incorporated using stolen identities.

“Scammers will use every tool they can think of to steal people’s money and personal information. ASIC takes action to frustrate their efforts, including by prosecuting those that help facilitate their conduct and taking down over 130 scam websites each week. Our ongoing work to uplift and improve our registry system will also help to prevent conduct such as this from occurring in the future.”

“However, these scams are like hydras: you shut down one and two more take its place. That's why we're warning consumers that the threat of scams and identity fraud remains high. We remind consumers to be vigilant,” said Ms Court.

Catherine Conneely and Thomas Birch of Cor Cordis have been appointed by the Court as joint liquidators of the 95 companies.

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Judgment

Background

Romance baiting is a type of scam in which offenders often devote long periods of time, usually on social media, to gain the trust of victims before encouraging them to make investments, such as in digital assets and/or contracts for difference such as margin FX, often via professional looking websites or apps. Victims think they are trading on legitimate platforms, but they are actually fake platforms, created by the offenders, that are often designed to look identical to well-known sites. Victims’ money is deposited into accounts controlled by the offenders and never seen again.

The winding up action is the latest in ASIC's ongoing efforts to combat investment scams.

ASIC is removing around 130 scam websites a week, with the latest Enforcement and Regulatory Update indicating that more than 10,000 sites have been taken down, including 7,227 fake investment platform scams, 1,564 phishing scam hyperlinks and 1,257 cryptocurrency investment scams.

In December 2024, ASIC sued HSBC Australia for allegedly failing to adequately protect customers scammed out of millions of dollars (24-280MR).

In March 2025, Brendan Gunn was charged for allegedly dealing in the proceeds of crime connected to an international scam ring following an ASIC investigation (25-030MR).

The companies shut down on just and equitable grounds are: 

  1. 19 Securities Pty Limited (ACN 667 009 743)  
  2. 24-U Pty Ltd (ACN 660 136 603)   
  3. 90Rich Markets Pty Ltd (ACN 679 210 032)  
  4. Aleos Capital Markets Pty Ltd (ACN 664 271 925)   
  5. Aleos Capital Pty Ltd (ACN 674 120 015)  
  6. Atom Global Markets Pty Ltd (ACN 678 573 138)  
  7. Audrn Financial Group Pty Ltd (ACN 602 539 462)  
  8. Aus Financial Australia Pty Ltd (ACN 663 182 536)  
  9. Ausfit Mart Pty Ltd (ACN 664 142 241)  
  10. Aximtrade Pty Ltd (ACN 655 873 377)  
  11. BHP Markets Pty Ltd (ACN 658 757 745)  
  12. BKS Markets Pty Ltd (ACN 668 857 976)  
  13. Broad Times International Pty Limited (ACN 671 961 890)  
  14. Bullant Capital (Aus) Pty Ltd (ACN 663 849 956)  
  15. Caitu International Securities Pty Ltd (ACN 664 050 926)  
  16. Cerram Meta Click Pty Ltd (ACN 644 633 063)  
  17. Cloud Bridge Capital Pty Ltd (ACN 661 715 966)  
  18. CLSA Capital Group Inv Pty Ltd (ACN 676 141 512)  
  19. Como Trade Pty Limited (ACN 662 933 799)  
  20. Dakin International Pty Ltd (ACN 658 014 656)  
  21. Discovery Capital Group Pty Ltd (ACN 667 981 437)  
  22. Enclave Prime Pty Ltd (ACN 662 396 278)  
  23. Extreme Global Pty Ltd (ACN 670 559 672)  
  24. Extrend Cap International Pty Ltd (ACN 658 757 807)  
  25. Fox Digi Pty Ltd (ACN 663 890 506)  
  26. Gaoman Capital Group Trading Pty Ltd (ACN 659 170 073)  
  27. Gaosheng AR Pty Ltd (ACN 661 750 330)  
  28. Genesis Capital Resources Pty Ltd (ACN 661 621 469)  
  29. Geo Securities Pty Ltd (ACN 662 140 418)  
  30. Gold Rush Global Group Pty Ltd (ACN 666 677 265)  
  31. Gold Rush Group Pty Ltd (ACN 658 757 772)  
  32. Goldton Securities Pty Ltd (ACN 658 356 097)  
  33. Goldwell Global Pty Ltd (ACN 669 654 540)  
  34. Gongde International Pty Limited (ACN 669 729 793)  
  35. Great Plan Service Pty Limited (ACN 669 595 288)  
  36. Great Virtue Pty Limited (ACN 668 832 826)  
  37. Gse Global International Pty Ltd (ACN 660 196 396)  
  38. GTS Energy Markets Group Pty Limited (ACN 645 815 569)  
  39. Guang Quan International Pty Ltd (ACN 668 974 383)  
  40. Guangyu Securities Pty Limited (ACN 668 451 429)  
  41. Guanhong Securities Pty Limited (ACN 661 474 577)  
  42. Guofa International Pty Ltd (ACN 671 454 265)  
  43. Guotai International Pty Ltd (ACN 670 790 655)  
  44. Heng Fu Tong Securities Pty Ltd (ACN 680 316 705)  
  45. Hontak International Pty Ltd (ACN 671 706 335)  
  46. Hus Global Pty Ltd (ACN 677 904 102)  
  47. Hus Us Pty Ltd (ACN 677 474 289)  
  48. IEXS Global Pty Ltd (ACN 664 408 226)  
  49. Illu Markets Group Pty Ltd (ACN 666 124 492)  
  50. International Finance Asia Pty Ltd (ACN 670 137 345)  
  51. Intrade Us Pty Ltd (ACN 676 946 606)  
  52. Inuc Global Pty Ltd (ACN 678 172 962)  
  53. Invdom Pty Ltd (ACN 675 681 268)  
  54. Jinhou International Pty Limited (ACN 664 819 210)   
  55. Jinte Net Blockchain Pty Ltd (ACN 643 223 965)  
  56. Juncheng Trade Pty Ltd (ACN 675 132 895)  
  57. Katy Capital Pty Ltd (ACN 652 540 120)  
  58. Khama Capita Pty Ltd (ACN 662 934 072)  
  59. Kwakol Markets Pty Ltd (ACN 656 656 665)  
  60. Mercury Securities Group Pty Ltd (ACN 663 112 221)  
  61. Nasd Trading Group Pty Limited (ACN 660 933 059)  
  62. Newrgy Pty Ltd (ACN 659 949 014)   
  63. Oceanus Wealth Securities Pty Ltd (ACN 667 232 644)  
  64. QRS Global Pty Ltd (ACN 665 543 966)  
  65. Rac Markets Pty Ltd (ACN 662 485 967)  
  66. Rayz Liquidity Pty Ltd (ACN 670 366 542)  
  67. Rena Markets Pty Ltd (ACN 664 271 854)  
  68. Rhino Securities Pty Ltd (ACN 662 588 427)  
  69. Rich Gold Group Pty Ltd (ACN 676 210 441)  
  70. Ridder Trader Pty Ltd (ACN 643 571 377)  
  71. Rising Sun Capital Pty Ltd (ACN 661 452 759)  
  72. RN Prime Pty Ltd (ACN 664 101 937)  
  73. Rootie Tech Solutions Pty Ltd (ACN 663 868 237)  
  74. Royal Tungsten Pty Ltd (ACN 659 522 540)  
  75. Ruifu International Pty Ltd (ACN 670 605 893)  
  76. Ruisen Securities Pty Limited (ACN 666 827 550)  
  77. Seventy Investech Pty Ltd (ACN 665 400 699)  
  78. Shan Yu International Pty Limited (ACN 668 038 944)  
  79. Sophie Capital Financial Trading Pty Ltd (ACN 658 204 347)  
  80. Standard Holding Group Pty Ltd (ACN 659 150 642)  
  81. Titan Capital Markets Pty Ltd (ACN 658 387 118)  
  82. Topmax Global Pty Ltd (ACN 662 561 748)  
  83. Tradehall Pty Ltd (ACN 641 032 402)  
  84. Tradewill Global Pty Limited (ACN 653 239 500)  
  85. Trillion Global Capital Pty Ltd (ACN 660 834 757)  
  86. Tshan Markets Pty Ltd (ACN 674 120 140)  
  87. Tuotenda Capital Group Pty Ltd (ACN 654 956 153)  
  88. Upone Global Financial Services Pty Ltd (ACN 675 268 774)  
  89. Volmax Group Pty Ltd (ACN 658 899 640)  
  90. Vorex Trading Pty Ltd (ACN 656 321 792)  
  91. VSFX Financial Pty Ltd (ACN 651 792 488)  
  92. Yinrui International Pty Limited (ACN 671 080 658)  
  93. Yuying International Pty Limited (ACN 669 482 526)  
  94. Zhongke Global Pty Ltd (ACN 670 931 905)  
  95. Zhongying Global Pty Ltd (ACN 663 466 073)