Rebecca Struwig boasted to her friends that Brian Mario had stolen her heart the moment they "met" on an overseas dating site.
But a year later she reported a different kind of theft. He had swindled her out of R40000.
Police in Brighton Beach KwaZulu-Natal have received several reports from women, conned by enterprising Casanovas on international dating sites.
"These men operate from internet dating sites. As they become more comfortable and cunning they start requesting money for healthcare, cash for repairs to their vehicle, or to purchase a plane ticket to visit them," police spokesman Captain Louise le Roux said.
In some instances, women sent explicit photos of themselves to the conmen, who then sold them to pornographic websites. The conmen, posing as white men in their early 30s and 40s, target single, divorced and married women of all races.
They fooled and charmed them for several months on Netlog, a Belgian dating site. A detective said "substantial" amounts were transferred to the men. Police said it was difficult to prosecute because the women transferred the money voluntarily.
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