With more and more people using dating sites to meet new people to hang out with and potentially date, the need to protect yourself is ever more the necessity. Now, this doesn’t mean that everyone is out to get you online, but there are a few bad apples that are the reason that stigma is in place.
We have created a list of 7 ways that you can protect yourself while dating online and still enjoy the experience.
- Protect Your Personal Information
It is extremely important that when you are online you don’t want to reveal personal information where you could find yourself in a dangerous situation. While this seems obvious, you would be surprised by how many people overlook this and give out their address, their place of employment, or any other identifying information.
- Never Hesitate to Look Up Your Date
If you aren’t entirely certain the person you are talking to is who they say they are, you should always turn to Google and do some research. You want to make sure the person is being straightforward with who they are and they don’t have a criminal background or anything untoward. Also, you can also see if that profile picture on their profile is actually them, thanks to Google Image search. You don’t want to think you are going to be meeting Brad Pitt and end up meeting Quasimodo.
- Hold Off on Exchanging Numbers
You may want to have a real conversation with the person you’re talking to, but you may want to hold off on giving them your phone number until you are entirely certain they are who they say they are. If they persist and beg for your number on a regular basis, that is definitely a red flag!
- Get To Know The Other Person
Unfortunately, dating sites do not require you to go through a background check when you sign up, so you never know who you are talking to. This means you are going to have to get to know the other person before you decide to take the plunge and see where things go. While you are having a conversation with the person, if the conversation seems off and rehearsed, chances are you may not be talking to someone who is genuine.
- Always Tell Someone Else About Your Plans
When you agree to meet someone that you’ve met online, you want to tell someone you know and trust where you are going and as much information you know about the person you’re meeting. Make sure the person knows that if something should happen to you, they know where to begin looking and who may be responsible.
- Avoid Alcohol
It is popular for most first dates to involve a drink—whether it be alcoholic or otherwise. While this may be fine for meeting someone that you already know, you may want to avoid having too much alcohol when you are meeting someone new. This will ensure that you are in your right mind throughout the date and you don’t end up doing anything that you may regret later.
- Be Your Own Driver
Whether you drive or not, you want to be responsible for your own transportation. You don’t want to be stuck on a date with someone who gives you the creeps.