Lonely hearts warning as online love scam puts countries on alert

Love may be in the air on Valentine's Day but authorities in Australia, Malaysia and Singapore warned on Monday 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 said.

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