With dating sites charging hefty amounts, many singles are resorting to free social networks to find love - with Facebook topping the list.

According to a survey - conducted by the Boston-based marketing firm Jana - on 1,500 eighteen to thirty-year-olds in nine countries, Facebook is across the board the most popular site for those looking for love online, with Twitter coming in second, and even MySpace making the top three in certain regions.

The research focused on emerging markets in Mexico, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.

According to figures from market research organization IBISWorld, the online dating industry is said to be worth in excess of $2 billion worldwide.

Jana found that in emerging markets, dating sites including Match and Badoo compete with regional sites including India's Shaadi and Peekawoo in the Philippines.

Twitter was the second most popular destination for matchmaking in Mexico, Philippines, Vietnam, Kenya, Brazil, and Indonesia. It was the third site of choice in India, South Africa, and Nigeria.

MySpace rounded off the top three in Mexico, Vietnam, Kenya, and Indonesia.

The highest proportion of people who had met someone online was in Vietnam, at 67 percent, whereas only a quarter of people in Brazil said they had gone on online dates.

Participants added that the best part about online dating was the variety of people available, yet the worst part was searching through this list. A 22-year-old participating in the survey in India, described the search as "choking back a pint glass of garlic salt."

Many said they preferred Facebook because the majority of people were more honest than people on dating sites where they claimed it was easier to set up fake profiles and lie.

The Risks Of Online Dating

Online dating fraud costs victims almost $41 million a year, according to figures from Get Safe Online and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.

There were more than 2,800 people in the United Kingdom reported dating-related crimes to the police in 2013 and one victim lost almost $1.5 Million. The average amount lost was $14,000 per person.

More than half of all reported crimes came from 40 to 59-year-olds and 63 percent were made by females.

Almost a fifth of all reported victims parted with $16,500 or more, with 49 people reporting to have lost more than $166,500.

The top five countries where fraudsters came from were England, followed by the US, Nigeria, Ghana, and Russia.