ASIC has launched another surveillance program aimed at ferreting out unlicensed credit providers.

The regulator's previous surveillance campaign, which ran from October 2010 to February of this year, found a number of unregistered credit providers. ASIC said its new campaign will hone in on traders who applied for a credit licence, then withdrew their application.

"ASIC will identify and may later prosecute individuals and businesses who fail to make sure they're properly licensed or authorised under the regime," ASIC commissioner Peter Boxall said.

Following the onset of the NCCP, ASIC said it had received around 2.500 complaints relating to credit matters, leading to the launch of 105 investigations. ASIC senior executive leader of real economy Rosanne Bell told Australian BrokerNews in July the regulator would become more "proactive" in its surveillance activities, and that she expected ASIC to issue "further deterrence actions".

Announcing the watchdog's new surveillance push, Boxall highlighted the importance of operators being properly licensed.

"Engaging or utilising the services of unlicensed credit operators puts the public at risk. Consumers need to be confident that they're dealing with authorised businesses who are gatekeepers of our financial services industry," he said.