A WOMAN was romanced and tricked out of £15,000 by an internet fraudster.

The 46-year-old, from Basildon, was looking for love online when she was targeted by the cruel conman who spun her elaborate yarns to get her cash.

During their exchanges the man pretended to be romantically interested in the woman, telling her he would soon come over to Basildon.

Over a two-month period his stories of woe included lies about needing money because he had been mugged and needed to pay hospital bills.

He also claimed to be flying to England from America, but days before his flight, he told the woman he had been arrested and quizzed by the FBI over drug offences.

She sent him cash to pay for legal representation.

He even sent his victim bogus FBI reports and flight bookings to back-up his outlandish claims.

PC Terry Wheeler, Basildon police's fraud and deception specialist, said: "The victim fell for this online chat and the trickster preyed on her kindness.

"The man always hinted that he would come to England to meet the woman and pay back the money he had borrowed. But it was all an elaborate fraud."

At first, he claimed to be a football scout in Los Angeles and asked his victim to send over two Manchester United football shirts.

When she did, he changed his story claiming to be a high-ranking government official who had returned to his native Nigeria and asked the victim to forward the shirts to his home in Lagos.

The woman exposed the con and reported him to police after he arranged to meet her at Heathrow airport, but didn't show up.

Essex Police is now working with Interpol in a bid to track down the conman, who got his victim to "wire" the money through Western Union, an international money transer service.

PC Wheeler hoped the case would serve as a warning to others.

He said: "It is the worst case of its kind that I have dealt with, but is just the tip of the iceberg.

"These villains lure their victims on the internet, steal their money and hope they will be too embarrassed to report it.

"This woman had the courage to do so and I hope her misfortune will serve as a warning to others to take the utmost care when using internet chat rooms."