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Sydney, Fri, 20 Jan 2012 ANI

Sydney, Jan 21 (ANI): Online dating sites in Australia are set to face tougher rules following numerous complaints about scams.

These matchmaking sites convince lonely hearts to part with thousands of dollars but fail to find them a partner will be targeted as part of a crackdown on the booming matchmaking industry.

Latest figures from NSW Fair Trading reveal that in 2010-11, there were 186 complaints about online dating sites, most relating to refunds, cancellations and quality of service.

There have been four complaints this month.

The Fair Trading Minister, Anthony Roberts, said dating agencies often preyed on the most vulnerable in society.

“Forget sharks this summer, the real sharks are the two-legged variety swimming around the dating game,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Roberts as saying.

“With some of these sites, once you sign on it’s like Hotel California because you can never leave and they keep charging your credit card even once you don’t want any more to do with them,” he said.

Roberts that said he was regularly briefed on dating scams and they often involved people claiming to be a soldier stationed overseas or someone who was recently widowed.

In reality, they were professional scammers who could take thous…………… continues on Newstrack India