Single people looking for someone to date will ask if internet dating sites are safe?
This is a good question because in today’s world you need to be careful. The answer to the question is internet dating is as safe as you make it. I know that may not make sense to you but let me go into detail on how you can stay safe dating online.
We are going to break down things you can do when internet dating to make it safe.
Personal information
When you sign up for a dating membership website like eHarmony or Asian Dating you need to be cautious.
You should not give out any personal contact information on any internet dating sites. Using the sites to find matches you should just use their internal messaging for all communications.
Once you have met several interesting candidates online.
You will want to ask questions and share information. Do not give out any personal information like address or phone number.
You need to really know someone before giving out personal information.
Keep personal information private until you are absolutely sure they are legitimate and a good person.
I know this may be hard doing it online but go with your gut. That brings us to our next safety guideline.
Scams video
Follow your gut feeling
You are talking with someone online and their profile plus picture has you interested. This is great news but just make sure you ask enough questions and get a sense of who you are talking to before meeting face to face.
If you get a bad feeling or weird vibe about the potential online connection then cut the cord.
I would follow your gut and walk away from that one because there are a ton of fish in the sea no reason to take a risk.
I think some people are so desperate for love they go out with people that are all wrong or worst case abusive.
Free email account
If you have decided to use online dating to find someone to connect with and go on some dates then play it safe.
Set up an email account separate from the one you normally use. Use this email only for the dating sites you are using.
You should be using the online chat or internal email for the dating website when you first meet people.
You would only use this personal email you set up if you both decide to meet in person and need to communicate outside the dating website.
If down the road things go sour they do not have your longtime personal email they just have the one you set up.
First time meeting
This should be obvious but I am going to say it anyway. The first date or meet up should be in a public place and should stay in a public place.
The more people that are around the better for your safety.
You do not know much about this new person you are on a date with so it is best to play it safe.
Tell a friend about the date
Make sure you tell a friend about the date and even have an out if the date starts going bad. You can have your friend call you and if everything is good you tell them.
If the date is going bad give a code word this will alert your friend to say you have an emergency and that will give you an out.
I am sure there are many more creative ways people have devised to get out of a bad date.
Double date or meet out with friends
You can maybe have a double date with friends you know just as long as the person you are going out with is ok with that setup.
You can also just have a large group of friends go out and see if the new date will be open to going out with everyone.
I am very social so I have gone out with a group and have been with a date but this is not for everyone.
If this is too much for the date just stick to meeting at a very public place.
Drive there and drive home
If you have just started dating for safety reasons just drive yourself and meet them at the movies or restaurant.
This is a safe way to date when you really do not know someone. I know this may sound stupid and usually on a date the one person will pick up the other.
Since you met online and you just started seeing each other play it safe and drive yourself.
The other option is Uber there and back home. Uber is really inexpensive and easy to use.
Stay sober
The last thing you want to do is get drunk. There is way too many things that can go wrong when you are intoxicated.
Your judgment is really bad when you are drunk making it more likely you will do something you will regret.
You can have a drink or two if you are out to dinner but you need to keep the drinking to one drink or no drinks.
Do not accept a drink from another person unless you see the bartender pour the drink and hand it to you directly.
Dating sites
The dating sites try to make finding the right man or woman as easy as they can and as safe as they can.
Many sites will check profiles to make sure people on the dating site are legitimate and not a scam.
Your safety is their number one priority because if they get bad publicity then no one will want to use their site.
You as an adult need to make sure you also take precautions and protect yourself from bad people online.
Scams
You also need to be careful of scammers. There are men and women from other countries that will try to connect with people who are desperate for love.
They know how to talk and make you feel great about yourself. Once they have you ingrained in their story they will spin it trying to get your help.
The help they need is usually money. They may also say they want to meet and they need money to buy a ticket to come to the US.
You just need to be leery of anyone asking for money because if they do it is a scam.
Free or paid sites
The research we did showed people liked both paid and free so it was like 50/50 split. Many people said the paid sites seemed to give more value.
Conclusion
Online dating is safe if you really play it safe and do not do anything quickly. You really need to listen to your gut and if in doubt walk away. Make sure you follow the advice we give above and you should be good.
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