Internet dating and social media have been cited after a rise in the number of rapes linked to online relationships.
Police Scotland said there were 87 rapes in 2016/17 where the victim met their attacker online, a 24 per cent rise on the previous year.
The new figures have led officers to issue a warning to women who meet men they have been communicating with online, the Scotsman reported.
Detective Superintendent Stuart Houston, of Police Scotland’s national rape task force, said: “Social media and the internet are integral to many people’s social lives and this includes the use of dating apps and online forums.
"What has become evident to us is when relationships start online they can progress quickly because people may not think of those they meet online as strangers.
"This includes the first meeting taking place in private or quickly moving to somewhere private.
"Yet someone you meet online may not be who they say they are.
"Sharing small bits of information such as your likes/dislikes, where you go out and the other platforms you use, can allow someone to build up a picture of you which they can then exploit.”
The figures show Police Scotland recorded 1,755 rapes in 2016/17, an increase of around 2 per cent on the previous year.
A spokesperson for the charity Rape Crisis Scotland said: “Online dating can play an important role in people’s lives, and it is very concerning that we are seeing increasing numbers of predatory men using this to target people for rape.
“We are aware it is an issue the police have been concerned about for some time, and it’s one we are hearing people talk to us about when they phone the Rape Crisis Scotland helpline, where they have met someone through an online dating site, and then been raped.
“If anyone has been affected at any point they can call our helpline on 08088010303.”
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