Parents beware! If you get a phone message from your child asking for financial help, you could be the target of a recent scam.

You may think it sounds hard to fall for, but data from Australian Police suggests that's not the case.

Just this year, one in three parents targeted there have dug into their pockets to help the person they think is their son or daughter, with over A$2 million lost to the scam in the first six months of this year.

So how do the scammers get their way? It starts with a text or WhatsApp message from a number you don't recognise.

The message is cleverly worded to suggest it's your son or daughter, detailing that they're getting in touch on a different number because they've changed provider or lost/broken their phone. Then comes the sob story about some kind of emergency. It might be they need a replacement phone straight away, or there's an overdue bill that needs paying or the power will be cut off. They ask to borrow the parent's credit card, often promising to pay the money back.

If you look at the Australian statistics another way, two out of three parents are realising that the messages simply don't add up. So what can you do to avoid getting sucked in yourself?

It's pretty simple If you get a text message asking for money, make sure you don't succumb to any desperate pleas for immediate help. Ensure you talk to your child, whether on the phone or in person, to confirm what's happened before you part with any money.

It's natural to want to help your offspring in their time of need, but incredibly frustrating if your earnings head for the pockets of a new breed of scammers.