Our busy schedule might lead many of us to try taking part in online dating. While some join dating sites with good intentions, there are certainly others with harmful goals. So, how can you make sure of your safety during online dating?
No one can give you 100% fail-proof safe online dating. The same is true for face-to-face dating. However, because online dating allows anyone to keep their identity secret, many people fall prey to online dating scams. The below five helpful tips for women give guidance on how to keep you safe when dating online.
Dating Site Credibility
Hundreds of dating sites and apps seem to grow daily to meet the number of people looking to date online. In 2021 in the USA, 33.6 million people took part in online dating. Online sites and apps can offer credible services for people looking for a partner. However, a significant number of dating sites engage in scams, especially financial scams.
Find out the popularity and the credibility of the dating site or app you want to use. A simple internet search about the dating site should give you information on what others say about the site or app. Remember, dating sites and apps’ goal is to make money by charging their users a membership fee. Your security is not their priority.
Limit Amount of Personal Information You Give
What kind of personal information? Where you work, home address, bank account details, your email address linked to other social media accounts, the list could go on and on. Most sites and apps provide safety for the registration data you provide. Read their privacy policy to avoid signing out your information for the public and advertising use.
Dating sites and apps do not provide solid protection for your profile data as they do for your registration information. Remember, hackers target sites for their personal intent, and some dating sites have fallen into their hands.
Conduct a Background Check on Potential Partners
You successfully register on a dating site and get some information about matching partners. It is good to remember that some dating websites carry out background checks, while many do not. Do some quick research on the likely someone you want to meet. Verify the information sent to you via the online dating site. For example, in Kent County, you can do a background search for Kent County marriage records to check the status of a person.
We cannot limit online dating to dating sites and apps. With the rise of many social media accounts, people reach out to others through these sites for online dating. Take your time and get to know who is reaching out to you. Are they a friend, a friend of a friend, on your colleagues’ list? Reach out to these friends or workmates. Find out if they know the person who reached out to you.
Why is this important? We recommend you go through the 2016 FBI report giving good pointers to avoid being a victim to online dating scams.
Avoid Being Alone
Date in a public place, a place you feel safe. Tell your friend or family who and where you’ll meet this person. Take a friend or friends along. They can sit at a different table and act as your lookout. As much as possible, don’t allow a stranger to walk you home alone. Text your friends and give them instructions on what to do if you don’t contact them at a set time.
Trust Your Internal Instincts.
Women have an inborn feeling that might warn them when something does not feel right. It is best not to ignore these feelings, especially when out on a date with someone you don’t know. Trust these instincts, when you feel unsafe or become uncomfortable with the person before you. Have a safety plan to use when in such a situation.
Final Thoughts
The dating arena is a forest through which we all have to wander through. Similar to taking extra care in waking in a bushy field, online dating requires the same attention. Avoid rushing, validate the online site and information on hand. Your peace of mind and life depends on you. Remember the phrase, ‘if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is?’ Your instincts and double-checked information should give you clear guidance on which direction you should go. Remember, Be Safe not Sorry’.
