Last year 800,000 Australians were ripped off by cyber criminals, and while computers are their main target, the game is shifting.

Scammers tend to lure in unsuspecting victims with promises of fortune, cars and holidays.

They randomly pluck their prey, and across the globe hundreds of thousands of dollars is stolen with every round of texts.

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Small business owner Mark Allen was targeted. He has seven mobile phones within his company, and when he started to notice an unusual hike on his monthly bills he knew something was wrong.

“I think they do prey on people who are unsuspecting, and I believe they create this scams to generate additional income,” Allen said.

“I have got a bill that has jumped from a cap at $49 now to $149, so it is outrageous really.”

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Allen had Received almost 50 text messages claiming to be a subscription service 'Skills for Thrills' and charging $5 per text. When he called his provider Crazy John’s to query the texts, they told him they would fix his bill.

“When I phoned I got a gentleman named John, so he did provide me with me a serial number or receipt number, and he told me he was going to waver it. He knew all about it.”

Sonia Guilmore was cold called and offered a deal she couldn't resist. The fraudsters promised 80 per cent off accommodation and all she would have to pay is $299 per person, and the kids would travel free.

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“You fight to get holidays and things like that, so when you hear you have won something you think ‘oh brilliant’,” Guilmore said.

“They put on this message saying ‘you have won a holiday to the USA’. And it said ‘if you want more information push nine’, so I pushed nine.”

When they started to ask for more personal details, Guilmore became suspicious and pulled the pin.

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“They needed your confirmation and your details, all that sort of thing, and they asked for my credit card details,” she said.

It's believed the con artists originate from Nigeria, where they move in packs, sending out texts en mass. But with the advancements in technology they are almost impossible to trace. As quickly as a hit on the ‘send’ button, the trail is erased.

Last year global scams cost us $1 billion, with almost six million Australians targeted in some way. The most common scam in circulation -the lotto text - fools its recipients into believing they've won upwards of $2 million.

Micheal Shchaper from the ACCC warns that when it comes to scams you have to be smart.

“You are going to get something, and it is going to be something for nothing, or the chance to get something, but in return you have to surrender up information about yourself,” Shchaper said.

“Ultimately you have got to be scam aware, and you have to be really cautious, because it may be almost possible to get your money back once you have been scammed.”

• always ask for the name and number of the person;
• do not share personal or credit card details.
• don't respond to texts or calls from unrecognised numbers.

This reporter is on Twitter at @maddykennard

• Report a scam on SCAMwatch - www.scamwatch.gov.au