Online dating is one of the fastest growing areas of the internet, but before you sign up for as many dating sites as you can find, you should know that they are not all the same. To have the safest and most enjoyable online dating experience possible, you need to do a little homework first.
Search and read reviews of the site you are interested in. If they offer a trial membership, use it to see how you feel about the site once you’re on it.
“Don’t Trust Everyone You Meet”
You may like the fact that you have a certain amount of anonymity on a dating site, but always remember that everyone else does too. Before you start telling all your secrets and sharing your deepest feelings, get to know a person first.
If the site you’re considering doesn’t have at least one method of verifying id, I’d still look for one that does. The most reputable sites tend to have more than one technique they use to make sure their members are who they say they are.
Most of these are paid sites and use a member’s credit card for identity verification. Some use software programs to check various statistics, including age, address, criminal history, and even if they have ever been convicted of a sex crime. However, remember that the only person responsible for your safety is you. Even though good dating sites go to great lengths to protect their members, always use good common sense with every decision you make.
“If you feel like you’re starring in Fatal Attraction…”
Before you hit the send button on a dating site’s app screen, make sure you’ve checked that they have a way to deal with unwanted contacts. This is usually a simple fix, often just a click of a button that stops someone from sending you correspondence and most sites have this feature. What you want to look for is a way to contact the admins in case for some reason the ‘block’ button doesn’t work. This is a good example of why you should get to know a person before you start providing personal contact information.
“Tips for a Safer Singles Dating Experience, Online and Offline”
Most of the people who make up an online dating site are regular people, like you and me, looking for someone special to share their interests with. Unfortunately, even with their protective filters in place, dating sites may have a bad apple or two in the barrel. Use the following 5 tips to increase your security, online and offline.
- Your public profile should not contain any personal contact information, such as a phone number or address.
- If you’re not ready to take the conversation to the next level, don’t let anyone force you into it. Don’t meet someone face-to-face until you feel comfortable about it.
- Your first meetings should take place in public places. Someone close to you should know where you are going and with whom, and you should call them when you get home.
- Put a limit on how long the first meeting should last. If things don’t work out right, you know a way out awaits you.
- For the first date, agree to meet in a public place and drive your own car. There will be time later if all goes well to be picked up at home.
bonus tip
NEVER, EVER do anything you are not comfortable with, at any stage of the relationship. Let your common sense guide you, your inner voice advise you and your intuition dictate your decisions.