Scammers use greed and romance to siphon $11m from Aussies in May

Australians were nefariously stripped of more than $11 million in scams last month, with fake investment schemes and the hope of romance the most lucrative criminal ruses.

Phishing was the most reported type of scam, according to Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) data for May, siphoning $185,000 from Aussies, up 190 per cent from April.

Crooks were also using online shopping, identity theft and false billing scams with high frequency last month.

Those most at risk of being ripped off were the elderly, aged over 65, with adults aged 35-44 next most vulnerable.

The ACCC has warned that scammers have been trying to exploit Australians financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, with a spike in new superannuation scams.

"Scammers are cold-calling people claiming to be from organisations that can help you get early access to your super," ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.

The ACCC had noticed a spike in text messages and emails pretending to come from government myGov officials, phishing for personal information and log in details.

Crispin Kerr, from global cyber-security firm Proofpoint, said scammers had been adapting their strategies to tie in with the COVID-19 news cycle.

"This is something we've witnessed in Australia and globally over the last few months," he said.

Scammers had been using misinformation around travel restrictions, stimulus packages and medical advice to trick people, he said.

Fraudsters were also using puppy scams to target people in social isolation, with nearly $300,000 lost already this year.