There are a couple of simple but effective ways of keeping yourself and your personal information secure when entering the world of online dating. Here we list our top suggestions for online dating safety:
Choose a credible dating site – check how they store and use your personal information. You don’t want all your potential matches being sent your private e-mail addresses and telephone numbers.
Too good to be true– if someone seems just that bit too perfect you might want to ask yourself what their motives are and are they being honest. It could just be that they are the perfect person for you, but if you start chatting to someone like this then take what is said with a pinch of salt and be very sure you have thoroughly checked them out before meeting anywhere. Trust your own instincts.
Personal safety – don’t include your full name or usual e-mail address on your profile. Keep a separate e-mail just for online dating, and don’t use outlook or computer-based e-mail as your IP address can be traced this way. Use a site such as hotmail or yahoo to set up an account for online dating. Don’t give out your home address, work details, or phone numbers, and if someone seems too keen to know this information before you have decided if you want to meet then report them to the site administrator.
Get to know your matches online before moving to face-to-face dating – be totally comfortable with the person you have met online before meeting them in person and before sharing phone numbers or any other personal information like this. If the person you are talking to is genuine they will also want to be sure they know you well enough to meet before giving any other contact details. Again, trust your own instincts.
Despite all these warnings, don’t forget that the world of online dating can be great fun and a wonderful way to meet new people – if it’s used safely. |
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