People looking for love online this Valentine’s Day are being warned to be vigilant after a reported 30 per cent increase in online dating and romance scams.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued a warning to the nation’s romantics to be wary, with more than 550 consumer complaints about the scams in 2009.

People are warned to keep private details to themselves on dating websites and chat rooms, and to take safety precautions when meeting with someone they met online.

ACCC deputy chairman Peter Kell says scammers take every opportunity to prey on peoples’ vulnerabilities.

“Scammers target victims by creating fake profiles on internet dating sites, chat rooms or introductory services, and they go to great lengths to establish a trusting relationship with victims,” he said.

“These scammers then prey on the victim’s emotional vulnerability by representing that they wish to travel to Australia or are in urgent need of money and ask for help to pay for airfares, passport, family hospital bills and other costs.”

Mr Kell says people caught up in such scams can end up with more than a broken heart.

“We’ve seen consumers who have lost large amounts of money, a woman who exhausted her savings and even took out an extra loan to support an online friend through what he said was a series of urgent medical treatments,” he said.

BE CAREFUL!

KATHY