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littleroundman
09-28-2011, 09:24 AM
DATING websites will be forced to display scam warnings in a crackdown on one of the fastest-growing areas of cyber-crime, which police say is driving some victims to suicide.

Overseas criminals exploiting lonely hearts conned Australians of more than $15 million last year, with the surge in dating and romance scams alarming authorities, the Courier-Mail reported. (http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/scam-alert-ordered-on-date-sites/story-e6freooo-1226148506775)

A top-level fraud conference on the Gold Coast yesterday was told Queenslanders were losing hundreds of thousands of dollars a month to mainly West African scammers many masquerading as online love interests.

Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said romance scams had become the "fraud of choice" and victims were being left financially and emotionally crushed.

"We're seeing thousands of Australians sending millions of dollars to criminals overseas every month," he told the International Organised Fraud Symposium at Sanctuary Cove.

"Apart from losing large amounts of wealth and in some cases their homes as a result of this brutal type of offence, some people take suicide as an option," he said.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has ordered dating websites to display scam warnings and is threatening action against companies that fail to comply.

Almost 600 Australians had lost $15.1 million to cyber-criminals posing as potential partners, with one-in-five being duped of more than $100,000.

ACCC deputy chairman Peter Kell said many victims were elderly widows.

Queensland Police Fraud Squad chief superintendent Brian Hay said women "are twice as likely to be victims".

"It's particularly savage. We're talking about vulnerable people who put their heart on the line and lose their house and life savings as well," he said.