It was a story of love and deception so extraordinary it became a hit Netflix documentary. 'The Tinder Swindler', the story of Simon Leviev - a prolific romance scammer - was shocking in scale, with one woman conned out of more than $400,000.
But the victim, Cecilie Fjellhøy is far from alone.
Globally romance scams are on the rise, and dating apps, such as Tinder and Bumble - recording billions of 'matches' a year - have become fertile ground for fraudsters.
New Zealand's Netsafe recently reported a 39 percent increase in online romance scams, with the average loss per victim a staggering $18,667 - according to Netsafe, the tip of the iceberg.
Since 'The Tinder Swindler' Cecilie has teamed up with Anna Rowe - another romance scam victim.
Together they have launched an online think tank: LoveSaid, with the aim to remove the stigma around such scams and campaign for better legal protection and recourse.
Anna Rowe and Cecilie Fjellhøy were both victims of romance scams - now they're fighting for justice for others. Photo: Supplied
