Did you know that safety is an issue when you’re online dating? It’s great if you are aware of it but if you didn’t know, it’s time that you got educated. There are plenty of ways to get scammed on the internet and one of them is through online dating. A person can just pretend to be someone they’re not, make you fall in love with them and get you to send money or gifts. You may be thinking that the scam is too obvious to not spot but believe us when we say that majority of the people who got caught in the web of lies didn’t even know what hit them, even though they were aware they had to be careful regarding online dating safety.
That’s why it’s important to know a few online dating safety tips. These are pretty basic to people who have been online dating for a while but they are great for beginners and they serve as a helpful reminder.
Online Dating Safety Is Not A Game So Remember This
Safety tip #1: Personal information.
Never give your personal information. This means your address, your phone number etc. If the Russian girl you’re chatting with asks for it on your first few meetings then this is a reason to get suspicious. Don’t be mistaken because these scammers are smooth in getting information so remember always to be on guard.
What to do: Ask help from the dating website that you’ve signed up to. They’ve had years of experience in detecting scammers so go ahead and contact customer support to report any suspicious activity.
Safety tip #2: Too much detail.
When setting up your online dating profile, it’s great to have detail in it but too much detail might be hazardous to your online dating safety. For example, putting in: “I always go to this place every Saturday night.” Seems harmless, doesn’t it? But think about it. If you have pictures of yourself on your profile, a person can just go to your favorite place and then see you. You won’t really see them because you don’t know who they are. And all sorts of people have all sorts of agendas.
What to do: Learn how to make an effective profile without giving out too many details about your personal life.
Safety tip #3: Protect your finances.
This has to be your number one rule regarding online dating safety: never send money to a stranger. On a second thought, never send money to anyone you’ve met online. If you do not know the individual personally, it is best to avoid sending out money to this person. Even if the person became your beautiful Russian girlfriend, you still shouldn’t send out money to her (granted that you’ve never met in person before).
Since you’re a thousand miles away, you can never really double check the real identity of the person nor could you check if the reason behind them asking for money is valid. Altogether, it’s just best for you to stop yourself from sending out financial assistance.
What to do: If you do encounter someone asking for money, report this person to the website you’re signed up to. It may be difficult to do this if you’ve already fallen for the person so it’s best to seek the advice or talk to someone who’s close to you. They’ll talk some sense into you for sure.
Online Dating Safety Should Come In First
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