Virtual relationships are growing more and more every day, which is a major challenge for this type of involvement, as there has to be a great deal of trust between the partners.

The digital age has made it possible to bring together people who are physically distant, making it difficult to maintain a relationship, so they use the internet to keep in touch.

But why are long-distance relationships on the rise?

There are various reasons, such as living in different places or because of work or study.

But do long-distance relationships work?

For this type of commitment to be successful, respect, trust, honesty and complicity are essential for it to be healthy.

Establishing some rules is fundamental and it's important that, if possible, you devise a plan for meeting up, maintaining a more natural contact.

Now, if there is no possibility of meeting in person, making the relationship totally digital, either because of distance or perhaps a fear of meeting, it's important to be attentive and look for more information about your partner, because the digital world gives us many surprises that can be both positive and negative.

When I talk about negative surprises, I'm talking about the scams that every day cause inconvenience to those who use the Internet to maintain a relationship.

There are many fake profiles that are created just to fool people and by the time you realize it, you've already been fooled.

There are reports of people who have lost material possessions and also peace, many end up traumatized by having been deceived and feel "weak" emotionally.

If you haven't gotten to know your partner or your family very well yet, I'll give you some tips below that might help.

• It's important to keep certain personal information confidential, such as where you live, where you work, financial matters, as you don't really know who is on the other side of the screen.
• Do a search on the internet for information about the people you're in a relationship with, such as their names, families, jobs, and check that they really are true, so that you feel more secure.
• If you haven't yet had a virtual relationship and want to try it out, do so safely. Choose the right social networks, dating sites or apps that provide you with security.
• Make video calls to make sure that the person you're in a relationship with is real and not a fake.
• Find out if the person has other profiles to maintain relationships and also contact some of their social network friends to find out a little more about their partner's life.
• If you do happen to meet physically, choose public places with a lot of people around and also let your family know where you will be, because if the meeting results in a scam you will be better protected.

Does the virtual relationship work?

It depends a lot on the truth and the commitment of those involved.

If you're willing to follow a few tips, like the ones I mentioned above, and you're sure that it's really worth it, it can work.