Thinking of sprinkling your online dating profile with a few lies to boost your chances of finding love? Think again.
Experts have warned that lonely hearts need to be truthful about themselves following the prosecution of a man who claimed to be a muscle-bound blond named "Jamie" but was in fact a regular Joe of Indian descent.
His victim, a woman he met through the dating website Oasis, had her eyes closed during their sexual encounter and only realised the man was not who he said was after their tryst.
Influencing a person to have sex with you through fraud, threats or intimidation can lead to 10 years in jail.
While Deepak Dhankar, 29, awaits sentencing for his crime, Griffith University lecturer in Criminology, Jacqueline Drew, said there was a big difference between lying about yourself online and lying in order to commit a crime.
"Whilst embellishment of a profile may be disappointing for an individual when they meet someone who is not what they have purported to be, this may not necessarily constitute a criminal act," Dr Drew said.
"In all circumstances, if the online dating profile is used to contact victims for the purpose of perpetrating a crime or a crime subsequently occurs, victims should contact police and report the incident."
She said the case highlighted the need for online daters to be aware that those who they are talking to may not be who they say they are.
"Whilst many dating websites have processes in place to verify the identities of users and remove profiles that are found to be fraudulent, this remains a challenge," Dr Drew said.
There have been several recent cases involving men charged with procuring sexual penetration by threats or fraud. In 2012, Steve Onnis, 36, pleaded guilty to six charges of procuring sexual penetration by threats or fraud when he pretended to be a woman online who was seeking employees for an adult business.
He recorded them on Skype or MSN message exposing themselves and performing sex acts. Afterwards, he met up with the victims, aged between 16 and 20, claiming to be a business scout.
At the time, Judge Mark Gamble said: "Victims may feel ashamed and embarrassed about coming forward," adding that deterrence was an important factor in sentencing.
In a case in Canberra earlier this month, 52-year-old Akis Emmanouel Livas was sentenced to eight months in jail after he tricked a sex worker into having sex with him. He deceived the woman when he lied about having money inside an envelope for her.
Slater and Gordon senior criminal lawyer Ersel Akpinar charges of stalking and charges relating to "sexting" and "revenge porn" could also occur from online dating.
"When two people begin conversing online it is important that they are mindful of language and tone," he said. "Sending graphic text messages or starting an explicit discussion online that is not welcomed by the recipient can lead to potential criminal charges."
Sue Yorston, manager for social inclusion at Relationships Australia (Victoria), said online dating was similar to applying for a job, and that some people felt tempted to stretch the truth to appear more appealing.
"People may minimise certain aspects of themselves and that may not be truthful. It can be done in an innocent light, which is really quite different to someone trying to manipulate another person," she said.
Ms Yorston urged online daters to be truthful, without giving away private details.
"Honesty is the best policy, and that's appreciated by the other party," she said. "If we're looking to develop a relationship, honesty and trust is the foundation."
