The web is an innovation to be grateful for . It gives us contacts, communication, knowledge and entertainment.

But much that is bad and false can also be found there: fake news, nasty trolls, fraudulent offers, dating sites with invented profiles and false love.

My acquaintance "Maja" tells me that she receives friend requests from men two or three times a day with medals on her chest and french fries on her shoulders.

Maya of course pushes them away, she would never go for such a thing. It is tiring with all these romance scams, she says.

One day, I would like to think, every attempt to create a romantic relationship with a woman or man in order to suck the person on money will be revealed and go to the punch.

But until everyone becomes as clear-sighted as Maja, unfortunately, many fall in love with an unknown man on the net; They believe they have built up a unique, loving relationship with a wonderful man but in the end become a tormented, greatly disappointed and purse-struck victim.

From January to September of this year, the Police have received 683 reports of romance fraud according to the National Police Fraud Center.

It is mainly women who report police (75 percent) and the average age is 55 years. The deceived women have been deprived of an average of SEK 410,000, while the men who report lost a lower amount, on average SEK 230,000 each.

Another difference between the sexes is that men more often than women have met the perpetrators in real life and not just online.

What has my money been for? Ask "Berit" who is feeling bad after being ill exposed to a romance scam on Facebook.

She, like many other victims, is ashamed of her credibility and has not made a police report. Berit sent a total of SEK 3 million to her boyfriend whom she had never met but was led to believe was an American officer in Afghanistan who wanted to create a future with her in Sweden.

Your money might have gone to luxury cars, I say. Or to IS warriors, says Berit .

The romance scams are often about group work. It is criminal leagues based abroad - as many as 83 percent of romance scams have international links - that are behind most of this fraud offense, police say.

The leagues capture their victims, initiate intensive communication and establish a trusting relationship to then ask for money for one or other worthy cause: for example, having been in an unfortunate predicament or because they have become seriously ill and in need an expensive medicine.

Here's how to stop the romance scam online :

  • Check the man's profile picture on the dating site or Facebook by doing an image search. Often the impostor presents himself with a stolen image.
  • Suggest that you and the man talk on Skype. The answer is usually that unfortunately, it is not possible to implement, for various reasons.
  • As soon as the man asks for money, you know it's a fraud. End the contact. Never send money to someone you have not met.
  • If the man wants to buy a ticket to come and meet you, insist that you go and meet him. It is not the deceiver interested.