BEEN tempted to date someone online? Then be careful, says Action Fraud, which is an advice centre run by the National Fraud Authority.

There may be many genuine organisations out there intent on helping people meet the perfect mate, but there are also thousands of unscrupulous scammers pretending to be looking for love but who are, in fact, looking to con you out of cash.

Action Fraud identified 592 victims since 2010. Two hundred and three of them lost sums of more than £5,000.

The real numbers could be much higher as researchers at the universities of Leicester and Westminster, who investigated dating site fraud, believe more than 200,000 have been conned in the UK.

For those with a criminal mind it is quite easy to create a false identity and use someone else’s photograph – often that of a model.

Wow, you might think, this one’s special. She looks just like Julia Roberts. And we have such a lot in common! She can see past my facial warts, acne and strange body posture and likes me for my inner self. So what if she needs a £500 deposit for a car? Transport will make it easier for us to consummate our friendship.

Internet fraud is an ever expanding business that previous generations never encountered. And they are so ingenious that even I was tempted by the latest scam email I got today.

“Dearest One (it said). I am Tolma Warlord Ibrahim Coulibaly from the Ivory Coast in West Africa.”

The poor mite is 24, female and wants me to help her liberate $3.7 million from a local bank by transferring it into my account. Such a trusting soul. I can have 20% for my trouble and, after she moves to the UK, she is looking for a relationship and wants me to help her invest the rest. If I’m interested, she’ll send me a photograph. Presumably of her, not the money.

Do you think I should reply? Do you think I should tell the wife? Or would it possible to settle Tolma in Elland without my friends and family knowing?

I mean, 24-years-old, with a name like that and loaded? To a certain type of chap that could be very appealing.

It was a lot simpler years ago before the complications of online dating had been invented. If you were looking for a relationship, you went dancing on a Saturday night, you would never meet anyone called Tolma Warlord Ibrahim Coulibaly, and the most exotic encounter could expect to have would be with a lass from Barnsley.

Ah yes, those were the days.