Valentine scam alert

Love may be in the air on Saint Valentine's Day but authorities in Australia, Malaysia and Singapore yesterday warned of a growth in online scams cheating lonely people out of their savings.

Romance scams cost Australians more money than any other form of cheating, with those aged over 45 more likely to be stung, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said.

Victims are lured with promises of love and companionship into giving strangers money.

"Romance scammers are getting increasingly manipulative so if you are going online this Valentine's Day to look for love, it's absolutely vital that you're able to recognise the warning signs," ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard said in a statement.

"Scammers create very believable profiles, including stealing the identities of real, trusted people.

"If you meet someone who seems too good to be true, do some research to see if they're the real deal," Rickard said.

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian and Singapore police said 27 suspects -- including 11 Nigerians, whose country is notorious for offshore financial swindles -- were arrested in a joint operation against a syndicate preying on people seeking partners. They cheated 108 people in the neighbouring countries out of about 21.6 million ringgit ($4.9 million) in 2016, authorities said in the Malaysian capital.