Most Australians who lose money to investment fraud did not conduct background research before investing. The research takes less than ten minutes and is available to anyone with internet access. Here is the exact routine.

Search 1: ASIC Director Search (2 minutes)

Go to connectonline.asic.gov.au and select "Search for a person." Enter the full legal name of the individual. The search returns all companies with which that person is or has been associated as a director, secretary, or officeholder.

Look for: multiple company names across multiple sectors; dissolved or deregistered companies; any company names matching search results for regulatory action.

Search 2: Google Name + Regulatory Terms (2 minutes)

In Google, search the person's full legal name combined with each of the following terms, one at a time:

  • "[Full name] fraud"
  • "[Full name] ASIC"
  • "[Full name] conviction"
  • "[Full name] fair trading"
  • "[Full name] scam"

Repeat each search with every business name from the ASIC search. For Adrian Campbell, a search for "Adrian Campbell Eco Boss fraud" returns publicly available records of the 2018 convictions.

Search 3: Federal Court and AustLII Judgment Search (2 minutes)

Go to austlii.edu.au and search the person's name and any company names. AustLII contains virtually every published Australian court judgment. A published judgment — like Campbell v McIntyre (No 2) [2026] FCA 1279 — is freely accessible and fully searchable.

Search 4: Scamwatch and ACCC Check (2 minutes)

Search scamwatch.gov.au for the investment name and the operator's name. The ACCC maintains a searchable database of enforcement actions at accc.gov.au.

Search 5: Verify the Corporate Structure (2 minutes)

Ask the operator for the full legal name, ACN/ABN, and registered address of every company involved. Search each company name in ASIC Connect. Verify that the company is currently registered and not under external administration or in the process of being wound up.

"The searches described above take less than 30 minutes. The time required to conduct them is trivially small compared to the financial harm caused by investing with an operator who has a documented history of fraud." — Fraud Records and Scam Warnings, Evan Mercer (2026)

This routine is free. It requires no specialist knowledge and no professional assistance for the initial check. If the searches raise concerns, that is when you invest in professional legal advice. The searches themselves cost nothing but time.

Source: This article draws on publicly available court records including the judgment of Justice Derrington in Campbell v McIntyre (No 2) [2026] FCA 1279, conviction records confirmed by Adrian James Campbell in a corrected affidavit filed 10 August 2026, and the book Fraud Records and Scam Warnings: The Adrian James Campbell Case Files by Evan Mercer (2026). Nothing in this article constitutes legal or financial advice.