Impersonation of Credito Catanese Pty Ltd (creditoau.com)

What Is This Scam?

This is an impersonation scam targeting consumers and investors in Australia. The fraudsters operate a fake website at creditoau.com and use the email address [email protected] to deceive victims into believing they are dealing with a legitimate, regulated financial institution. The scammers impersonate Credito Catanese Pty Ltd, a real Australian financial company, to establish credibility and trick people into providing personal information, financial details, or making deposits. This type of scam exploits consumer trust in established financial brands and regulatory oversight systems.

Who Are They Impersonating?

The fraudulent operation impersonates Credito Catanese Pty Ltd, a legitimate Australian financial services company. The genuine company is regulated and can be verified through official channels.

• Legitimate Company Name: Credito Catanese Pty Ltd
• Australian Company Number (ACN): 686204893
• Official Website: creditocatanese.it
• Regulatory Authority: moneysmart.gov.au (Australian Securities and Investments Authority)

Consumers should note that the legitimate company's official website uses the .it domain (Italy), not the .com domain used by the scammers.

Evidence & Regulatory Action

This scam has been officially documented by the Australian financial regulator. The Investor Alert List on moneysmart.gov.au includes a specific warning about this impersonation scheme dated 24 September 2025. The fraudulent operation has been listed as an "Imposter" entity on the official registry.

The scam has also been documented by additional fraud tracking services, including the Cloned Financial Firms Registry, which maintains records of known financial impersonation schemes targeting Australian consumers and investors.

Red Flags

• Website uses creditoau.com instead of the legitimate creditocatanese.it domain
• Official regulatory alerts specifically name this website as a fraudulent imposter
• Email communications originate from [email protected] (not an official company domain)
• The domain was registered recently (April 2025) and is less than one year old
• Domain registered through GoDaddy, a common registrar for fraudulent websites due to minimal verification requirements
• Legitimate Australian financial companies will always be listed on the ASIC register or related official databases
• Requests for upfront payments, deposits, or personal financial information should raise immediate suspicion

Domain Information

The fraudulent website creditoau.com exhibits characteristics typical of newly-created scam sites. The domain was registered on 18 April 2025, making it approximately 0.9 years old at the time of this alert. The domain was registered through GoDaddy.com, LLC, a major registrar that unfortunately is frequently used by fraudsters due to the ease of anonymous registration.

What To Do If You Have Been Contacted

• Do not provide any personal information, banking details, or identification documents to this entity
• Do not click links or download attachments from emails claiming to be from creditoau.com
• Do not make any financial transfers or deposits
• Report the scam immediately to moneysmart.gov.au using their official reporting mechanism
• Report the fraudulent email address ([email protected]) to your email provider
• If you have already provided information or money, contact your bank immediately and file a report with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) through their official reporting channels
• Check your credit report through official Australian credit agencies to monitor for identity theft
• Block the fraudulent website and email address in your systems