>MORE than 40 Malaysian women are languishing in foreign jails, most of them tricked by their scheming lovers into becoming drug mules.
This happened despite the fact that newspapers regularly carry tragic stories of how these men con gullible, love-struck women.
Sometimes, the women are threatened and blackmailed when their charm wears thin.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong said he is on the lookout for a Casanova who had been cheating women for the past eight years.
Nine of his victims had come forward. One of them had parted with RM89,000 before she realised that the "love of her life" was only interested in her bank account.
"I'm shocked that despite stories of these scheming men, women are still falling for them.
"They willingly give everything they have to men they have known for only a few months.
"Casanovas usually start with a sad story of needing RM1,000 or less to clear a bounced cheque.
"Eventually, they will ask for more and it happens more often.
"And when the woman refuses, he threatens to expose their affair.
"Or, if he has been enterprising enough to take pictures of her in the nude, he resorts to blackmail," said Chong.
Loh Cheng Kooi, the executive director of the Women's Centre for Change Penang, said: "Women continue to be the victim in many instances because they are emotional and gentle.
"They are natural caregivers and some men know how to take advantage of that."
Loh is surprised at how trusting women are.
"There are so many stories of Casanovas. And still, many women let 'boyfriends' take pictures of them in compromising positions.
"Whether you are married or not, you should think seriously before getting yourself into such a situation."
Nazlina Ghani of Women's Aid Organisation said they had received an increasing number of reports from women cheated by men, particularly in the 25- to 40-year-old age group.
Most were duped by "love" and promises of marriage into giving cash and valuables to their so-called "boyfriends".
Some women also give them supplementary credit cards and take bank loans to finance the boyfriend's "ventures" or settle his "debts".
"The woman is in love and she trusts every word that comes out of the Casanova's mouth.
"He is a sweet talker. He will tell you what you want to hear to get what he wants," she said.
According to Chong, it is difficult to catch a Casanova and prove that he was more than a love cheat.
"Unfortunately, when a woman realises she has been cheated, it's too late.
"He has already stopped returning her calls.
"He has got what he wanted.
"People will say, if a woman is willing to give sex and her money to the man she loves, what can anyone do about it?"
For the woman who has been taken for a ride, very little can be done.
"But other women should be warned, and check out their "suitors" before they, too, fall into the Casanova trap.
