A woman was scammed out of £20,000 by a man she met through a dating website.

The woman, who lives near Woodcote Road, Wallington, with her mum, transferred the money to the man in Malaysia after he gained her affection, then span a web of lies about why he needed the cash.

Her supposed online partner, who she met in summer 2011, claimed he had moved from Kent to Malaysia, where he had fallen on hard times.

Within weeks of meeting her, he began to make frequent demands for money via text messages, including needing cash for a life-saving operation on a teenager he knocked over while riding his motorbike, claiming he would face criminal charges without the cash.

He also claimed he needed money for a flight to the UK after his money had been stolen while he was recovering in hospital after the alleged motorbike incident.

On one occasion, the trickster said he was going to kill himself unless money was sent immediately.

The woman ended up transferring a total of £20,000 through Western Union, Purley, to three separate, named individuals.

In March this year, the woman stopped making payments after her family became concerned and the matter was reported to police.

But police have been left frustrated because they believe the scam was being operated by someone operating outside UK legal jurisdiction.

Detective Sergeant Andy Wickens, of Sutton CID, said the perpetrator ran the scam using a number of dating agencies and may have never set foot inside the UK.

He said: "This is a really sad case of a vulnerable woman being targeted. She accepts that she will not recover any funds.

"We can understand how it is possible to get caught up in the moment when you have contact with someone online that you feel you are getting close to. But web users should take great care with online relationships and should not be tempted to give money to someone they have never met."

Police enquiries are continuing.