With a seeming growing number of desperate Facebook posts asking for help, people are being told to watch out for online scammers looking to make a quick buck from the kindness of strangers.

As the cost of living crisis has deepened across the country, people have been turning to social media for help, but Netsafe's chief safety officer, Sean Lyons​, is warning prospective Good Samaritans to be careful.

He says just like in any tumultuous time, there are those in genuine need and those who look to exploit the misery of others for their benefit.

Lyons says a good course of action for those wanting to help was to 'trust your gut” and if anything seemed off, then make sure to steer clear.

But that warning comes too late for south Auckland mum Chevonne Taylor​ who was left out of pocket after helping a woman who claimed she needed help after leaving her abusive partner.

In the post on a local community Facebook page, the woman says she was in desperate need and was living out of her car with her two children.

Doing what she thought was the right thing, Taylor contacted the woman and offered to meet up with her and pay for her petrol – but the woman declined.

Instead, she told Taylor a bank transfer was better, and even though Taylor was a little dubious she sent the woman $50 to help her out.

That was in July.

Then last week she saw the same story from the same woman – this time with a different name and different dates – pop up in another community group, and she realised she had been taken advantage of.

'So you're telling me that this woman sits on Facebook all day, every day and scamming people like it's a job?” says Taylor.

'I don't know how someone can lie to people day in and day out, and then go on with their life like everything's normal.”

In hindsight, Taylor says there were other red flags, such as the post had the comments turned off so Taylor and others couldn't see how many others were helping.

Lyons says it's good to err on the side of caution, instead offering support to the organisations already working with people like those asking for help.

'Personally, I find this pattern of behaviour one of the most awful things people use the internet for,” says he.

'To prey on people's good nature... and the goodwill to support people in need and to damage everyone's faith in that process is an awful thing to do.”

Netsafe provides tips on avoiding scams and staying safe online.

-Troels Sommerville/Stuff.