THE game of love can be cruel, as several Blacktown residents have had the misfortune of discovering.
Criminals using online match-making sites have fleeced unsuspecting users of thousands of dollars, police say.
Under the guise of lonely singles from foreign countries, con artists are engaging online with people and asking for money.
Police said the scammers claim to be in financial trouble and in need of help.
Once money is transferred, the fake identity disappears.
"They prey on the emotions of singles to assist them in their contracts to send money," police said.
The con artists use Western Union as the transfer method as it has the minimum amount of records that can be traced.
Police believe more people than have reported the crimes have been defrauded. They said the fraudsters target a wide range of dating sites and that any identity met online who asks for money should not be trusted.
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