Tips For Safe Internet Dating

Jun 02, 2009 3 Comments »

Who hasn’t tried online dating? If you raised your hand you’re now in the minority. Granted it’s more popular in some cities than others, but at the end of the day it’s far from the “Shh, don’t say where we met” kind of practice that it used to be. The issue with online dating is no longer being nervous about being found out. The issue is whether or not it’s safe.

For a while internet dating had a bad rap that kept a lot of singles afraid to try it out. The thing is though, whether you are single in a big city like Toronto or single in a small town, meeting people at a bar or a club has just as many hazards involved as internet dating does. Now, everyone was brought up knowing how to stay safe around strangers, but the internet is relatively new and so knowing how to stay safe around internet strangers isn’t second nature.

Here are some of the best tips for staying safe online:

Anonymity is your friend – Stay as anonymous as you can until after you’ve met in person, and even then only give up what you’re comfortable with.

Don’t exchange phone numbers – If the person you’ve met online is offended that you won’t give them your number, they aren’t worth your time. Especially now that so many of us can get email to our phones, you don’t even need to give out a phone number “In case you’re running late for the late.”

Meet in neutral locations – Don’t meet your online date at the bar you always go to with your friends, and don’t say “There’s a great cafe next to my apartment; let’s go there.” You’re cheating yourself if you trust someone before you get to meet them in person, so don’t risk letting someone you don’t trust know how to track you down.

Meet in a busy place – A nice quiet romantic spot may make for a great date, but a first date with someone from the internet should be somewhere on a well lit and frequented street that is sure to have a lot of patrons to watch what a great time you’re having.

Be careful what photos you post – Posting photos on your dating profile doesn’t have to be scary. Just make sure you don’t do anything stupid like posting a photo where you’re wearing your work uniform or a tag with your full name on it, or a shot of you standing in front of your house or… well you get the idea. Remember anonymity.

When in doubt trust the doubt – If your intuition is telling you not to trust the situation then call it quits right there. Whether it’s during the date or before email addresses are even exchanged, sometimes it’s best to trust that feeling and walk away.

As a final thought, remember that there are never any guarantees. As much as you play it safe there are risks to online dating just like anything else. If you have any online dating experiences you’d like to share or have other ideas to help keep things as safe as possible, please add a comment so everyone can see.

Related posts:

1. Tips to Get Out of the Single-Forever Rut
2. Signs That a Single Woman is Interested in You
3. It’s Not Online Dating
4. Fun Things to Do By Yourself
5. Signs You Need to Take a Break From Dating