LONDON - THE next time Hunky Bob from New York flirts with you on a dating website, beware.

He could be a 'flirting robot', the latest tool used by hackers to gain access to your personal details and passwords.

Called CyberLover, the piece of software developed in Russia, masquerades as a real man or woman who is seeking love online, The Telegraph has reported.

It is capable of conducting flirtatious conversations with people in chat-rooms and on dating sites as a means of luring vital information from its unwitting victims.

According to its creators, it can establish a new relationship online with up to 10 people in just 30 minutes, the newspaper reported.

Security experts said they were concerned that internet users were being lured into a false sense of security before parting with personal information such as their address and date of birth which can be used to access bank accounts.

They said that the answers to simple questions such as, 'Where can I send you a Valentine's Day card?' or 'What's your date of birth? I'm planning a surprise for your birthday?' could leave people exposed to identity fraud.

PC Tools, the suppliers of computer security products, said that CyberLover compiled a detailed report on every person it met, which it sent to hackers across the world.

'As a tool that can be used by hackers to conduct identity fraud, CyberLover demonstrates an unprecedented level of social engineering,' said Sergei Shevchenko, a senior analyst at the company.

'Internet users today are generally aware of the dangers of opening suspicious attachments and visiting URLs, but CyberLover employs a new technique that is unheard of. That's what makes it particularly dangerous.'

'It has been designed as a robot that lures victims automatically without human intervention.'

Although the software is currently targeting Russian websites, Mr Shevchenko said that all social networkers and online daters should be aware of giving away information to strangers.