Staying Safe in the Online Dating World

Online dating has revolutionized the way singles connect. One of the greatest advantages of this form of dating is that you can get to know someone through a computer before deciding to meet in person. Even though online dating can be safer than more traditional forms of meeting, your safety and well-being could still be compromised if certain precautions aren’t followed. Here are a few of the best ways to stay safe with online dating.

Avoid Sending Money

Although this may seem like a given, you might be surprised to learn the methods that online scammers use to swindle you out of your hard-earned money. If someone shares a story about an illness or a relative in trouble and needs some financial help from you (even if it’s just a small amount of money), that should definitely raise a red flag. Never offer to wire someone money or send cash in any other way to someone you have met online, even if the person on the other end is tugging on your heartstrings.

Resist the Urge to Exchange Personal Data

You think you’ve just met the woman of your dreams and can’t wait to meet. You want to share everything about yourself and are eager to share many of your personal details with her. The problem with this is that you could be falling for a scam or may be sharing your personal data with someone who intends to do you harm. Even if you think you are head over heels in love at first sight, you should resist the urge to share your email address, password, phone number, or home address until you get the know the person on the other end better.

Become a Grammar Aficionado

It’s expected that a lot of people will have some spelling and grammar mistakes in their emails and online chat sessions. However, if you notice an excessive amount of mistakes or notice phrasing that seems awkward, the person on the other end could be trying to scam you from another part of the world.

Beware of the Disappearing, Reappearing Act

If a person you have been chatting with on a particular dating site mysteriously vanishes for a while and then sets up a new profile with a different username, this could be a sign of trouble. The person was likely warned by the site moderator for some type of violation, which may have resulted in an account closure. If the user reappears under a different profile name and tries to contact you, it’s best to just not respond and try to find another match.

Check Her Social Media Activity

You may feel like a creepy stalker by checking her social media activity, but it’s more important for you to look out for your own safety. Almost everyone has a social media account of some sort nowadays, and you can learn a lot about a lady by simply viewing her profile page. You can check to see whether or not you have certain friends in common on certain social media sites and ask them for feedback. You may also come across information from people who might be trying to warn others about her sinister ways.

Avoid Naughty Webcam Behavior

If you are able to chat with a special lady through a webcam, you may be tempted to demonstrate naughty behavior as a show of affection toward her. The problem with doing this is that she could record the footage and use it to later blackmail you or embarrass you if the relationship happens to end on a bad note. Getting nude or engaging in other adult behaviors while in front of the camera should be avoided so that no recordings can be taken.

Meet in a Public Setting

If and when you do decide to meet face to face with the person you’ve connected to online, it is best to do so in a public place such as a coffee shop or busy city park. Inviting her to your home or offering to meet at her place could put you in a lot of danger. It might also be a good idea to meet in a setting where alcohol isn’t served so that you can stay fully alert and not get taken advantage of (physically or financially) by the other person.

Protecting yourself when online dating should be your number one priority. If you follow the proper precautions, you can spend more time connecting to others who are genuine and sincerely want the same things in a relationship as you.