TITLE: Australian Securities and Investments Commission Applies to Wind Up Capital Guard Over Investor Fund Concerns
BODY:
On July 26, 2026, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) applied to the Supreme Court of New South Wales to wind up Capital Guard AU Pty Ltd (Capital Guard) on just and equitable grounds. ASIC is seeking the appointment of an independent liquidator to take control of Capital Guard, investigate its affairs, and preserve and recover assets where possible.
ASIC has serious concerns about Capital Guard's management and the handling of investor funds. The authority identified multiple breaches: Capital Guard appears to have promoted bond investments that may not have existed or were misrepresented to investors; investor funds appear to have been used inconsistently with how Capital Guard represented they would be deployed; Capital Guard provided false information to its auditor; and the company experienced a breakdown in governance and management, failing to comply with regulatory and reporting obligations. ASIC's investigations indicate that Capital Guard raised approximately $17.4 million from around 80 investors, with only a small proportion of those funds remaining in known Capital Guard bank accounts and payment platforms.
ASIC cancelled Capital Guard's Australian Financial Services (AFS) licence on June 29, 2026, after finding it had engaged in serious misconduct, including promoting a fake Macquarie Bank bond, providing false documents to its auditor, and making misleading statements on its website. On July 3, 2026, ASIC placed Capital Guard on its Moneysmart Investor Alert List following the licence cancellation, and the company's website was taken down.
The Supreme Court has listed the matter for a directions hearing on July 20, 2026. ASIC's investigation into Capital Guard and related persons and entities remains ongoing.