Victoria falls for net cons

A GROWING number of Victorians are being reeled in by phishing scams, despite widespread warnings about the lure of too-good-to-be-true offers.

Financial losses linked to the scams increased by 20 per cent in 2018, Consumer Affairs Victoria said yesterday.

The crimes often involve an unsolicited approach by phone, online or in the mail, asking for personal information including bank details, so money can be paid out.

Consumer Affairs is joining forces with Crime Stoppers to try and combat the increase in phishing-related losses.