Her name was Natacha and she was promised, along with a dowry of gold bars, to her suitor - a 56-year-old Australian farmer who travelled to West Africa to meet his intended bride.

But when Des Gregor arrived in Mali to meet the woman he had fallen in love with over the internet, he was kidnapped, beaten, stripped, relieved of his cash and credit cards and threatened with dismemberment unless he paid a ransom of £41,800 ($A100,000).

Natacha, the woman who had consumed his thoughts for months, never existed. She was the invention of African conmen who prey on lonely hearts.

A sheepish Mr Gregor, who farms an isolated part of South Australia, arrived back home at the weekend, poorer and wiser for his experience.

He was freed from an apartment in Mali's capital, Bamako, after being held hostage for 12 days during which his captors told him they would hack off his limbs unless he came up with their ransom demand.

Australian Federal Police persuaded the kidnappers that there was money to be collected by their captive from the Canadian embassy in Bamako. The conmen briefly released Mr Gregor, and police rescued him.

"I especially thank the Australian Federal Police for the effort that they put in, and also the Mali police, they did a fantastic job in conjunction with the AFP, and if it wasn't for them, I reckon another couple of days and I wouldn't have returned," said Mr Gregor.

Mr Gregor said he was beaten with a machete and bound by the legs during his time held captive in a one-room apartment.

He said that when he arrived in Mali and was met by a relative of "Natacha", there was no suspicion of a con trick. "Everything was as to plan, I got off the plane and was met by this guy who dressed the part,'' he said.

"The first indication I had that there was something wrong was when we got to the flat, they called out for somebody's name and the person that was supposed to meet me weren't (sic) there.

"We walked in and there was one bloke with I would say a home-made pistol and another one with a machete.

"It's a bit hard to explain what I thought. I basically was wondering what the hell was going on, and then they started demanding money - then I knew things were serious.''

Mr Gregor said he was given "a good belting with a machete, I still have the scars to prove that''.

"I was tied, bound by the legs, and that was only probably for a couple of days because they knew that I was going to co-operate ... there was always one bloke sleeping at the door, there was no way out,'' he said.

"They basically asked for money, $100,000 was the original figure. I gave them what I had, they then made me strip - that is when they got the wallet and that had 675 Australian dollars ( £280) in it.''

Asked if he had learnt his lesson, Mr Gregor replied: "I think so.''

Mr Gregor arrived in Adelaide with none of his possessions and issued a warning to others seeking love over the internet.

"Just be careful, make sure you check everything out 100 per cent,'' he said.

His brother, Phil, said that Des had been blinded by love.

"You see this in a movie, you read about it in a book - it happens to someone else, not you. But it does, I found that out,'' Phil Gregor said.

"When you're in that relationship, it does seem that the reality of the scam doesn't show up to the person that is in it.

"I really hope that the message gets out to people that they look after their family, and if anyone talks about internet relationships, that they can be open and share the mail with them to get an objective opinion."

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