A woman from West Sussex who struck up an online friendship with a man claiming to be an American soldier in Iraq was conned out of £40,000 in an elaborate scam, it has emerged.

The victim, in her 60s, contacted Sussex Police last week after eventually realising the man she thought was a friend had duped her into making wire transfers to various addresses in Ghana.

The conman told the woman, who has not been identified by police, that he needed the money to help him bring a large quantity of gold into the UK.

Police said it appeared to be another variation to the scam letters, emails, telephone calls and faxes sent out in their thousands daily to people and companies worldwide.

A police spokesman said: "Police warn that unscrupulous criminals operating from abroad via the internet are always trying to persuade people in the UK and elsewhere to part with their cash.

"Scam letters, emails, telephone calls and faxes are also sent out in their thousands daily to individuals and companies worldwide, by fraudsters from outside the UK.

"This is clearly another variation on that theme, and our priorities are of prevention and disruption.

"Police are investigating, but meanwhile always remember the motto: If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is."