The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has halted emergency payments meant to help freelancers and small businesses through the coronavirus crisis after discovering fraudsters were using spoof websites to trick applicants.

The regional economy ministry of Germany's most populous state said it had filed a fraud complaint with local police following "indications of fake websites that appear prominently in search results".

The websites mimic the state's official site where small business owners can apply for cash grants between €9,000 and €15,000 after entering personal details including their name, address and tax and bank account numbers.

According to early investigations by the state police's cyber crime unit, fraudsters have been using the spoof application forms to get hold of data "presumably for criminal purposes", the ministry said in a statement.

It is believed the scammers have been trying to claim money using the original applicant's details.