Bill scam is robbing businesses: Vic

Hundreds of Victorian businesses have been targeted by scammers who send bogus bills and then harass them for money.

Scammers send fake invoices for non-existent advertising services, then try to intimidate the business into paying by ringing repeatedly and threatening legal action.

Consumer affairs minister Jane Garrett says businesses can feel pressured into paying.

"The fake bill is a con artist standard trick, what's new is they are vigorously chasing the money," she said on Monday.

"The amounts being demanded from their targets, which are usually smaller businesses, often run into hundreds of dollars which all adds up."

Consumer Affairs Victoria has received almost 300 reports of false billing scams in the last 18 months, but the department believes it's under-reported.