How to Stay Safe Dating Online

The Internet has given us a lot of new opportunities which were unavailable even two decades ago. It has changed many aspects of our lives and brought it on an absolutely new level. There is probably not a single social sphere which has not been influenced by the Internet in this or another way, and dating is not an exclusion.

One can talk a lot about disadvantages and advantages of this relatively new method of building relationships. However, the fact is that over 7 million people around the world are registered on online dating websites. And it is vitally important to be aware of certain dangers of online dating. Unfortunately, even on the web, it is quite difficult to find a safe place, and none of the sites can guarantee you 100% safety.

Since all dating sites in this or that way predetermine that you will pay for certain types of service using them, fraudsters do not lose a chance to use this opportunity to get rich. Despite numerous methods of protection that owners of these sites implement to create a healthy environment for dating, you should yourself follow certain precaution methods that will make it impossible for you to become a victim of fraudsters.

4 Tips how to stay safe online

1. Choose safe online dating sites

Not all dating sites have honest and clear policies. I am not saying that all such sites are created by people who want to take your money and give nothing in return. I just want to pay your attention to the fact that sometimes, dating sites prefer to conceal a portion of important information regarding fees. For instance, you may not always find a notification which says that, for instance, 1 minute on chat costs 1 credit. Hence, it may turn out that in 40 minutes your account balance is out of money. An unpleasant situation, isn’t it? However, everything is legit, you just didn’t read the long terms and conditions carefully.

So, my piece of advice is to read reviews before using any dating site. And by reviews I mean, not just comments like “This site is great, I like it”. I mean a thoroughly conducted investigation on a dating site where a person discusses each and every service on it and how much it costs. You’ll spend about 5-10 minutes to read such a review, but that’s really worth the money that you may lose.

2. Take your time and do it slowly

According to the dangers of online dating statistics, in the majority of cases, users themselves are the reason for the problems they face on dating sites. Instead of getting to know a new person a bit better, they rush it and share things they shouldn’t be sharing with people they barely know. I recommend to take time and talk for at least a few weeks. The first impression of a person is often wrong, so do not do things which you will regret later.

3. Chat safely

Remember that online dating is about finding a soulmate and building healthy relationships. If a person starts talking about money or gifts or gives any other hints that she requires material support because she cannot afford this or that thing, this should be a true signal that you are communicating with a wrong person. The only topic for discussion on a dating site should be you, she, your feelings, hobbies, interests, and other things that refer to relationships or dating, but not money.

4. Do not share private photos

People are different, and you’ll never know what they have in their minds, especially if you have never met each other in real life. I recommend you to be very careful with sending some personal photos. Send only those images that you wouldn’t mind others seeing. Take time and get to know a person better, unless you want for some of your private photos to end up on the Internet. Maybe, some time later, after you know each other better, and you feel safe with this person, you can exchange some of those not-for-all photos.

Are dating sites safe for real meetings?

Very few people who use dating sites consider them only for online communication. Most users and swinger couples need them to find someone for real dating. So, after an online dating stage, sooner or later, people start thinking about meeting in real life. And even if everything has been perfect and smooth and you have a great time via online chat, it doesn’t mean yet that you shouldn’t forget about safety measures. I don’t doubt the online dating safety, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. So, when taking a decision to move from online to real dating, you need to prepare for the first date well and thoroughly.

1. Make it formal

Even if you have been chatting online for many months, and you know probably everything about this person, including many moments of life that people usually do not share at once, you still should not rush the events, no matter how hard you want to make a huge step forward. Your first non-virtual date should be formal, no exclusions. Choose a crowded place for the first date, for example, a restaurant, cinema, exhibition, or agree to meet in a park and spend time there. Do not invite a person to your home nor accept an invitation to visit her house.

2. Inform your friends where you are going

I know that it may seem like too much for just a date, but you are going to meet a person you have never seen in real life. And informing a friend that you are going for a date with an online match is an absolutely right decision. Besides, most dating sites recommend to do it.

3. Leave if you feel uncomfortable

Your real date may significantly differ from the online ones that you had before. So, if you see that your virtual partner is not the person you know so well online, you’d better end this date. Not all online dates should go real. Sometimes, it’s better to leave things as they are and continue communication online.

4. Avoid alcohol

Do not drink alcohol on the first date. Even if you feel a bit nervous and you know that a little alcohol will help you to relax and calm down. I still recommend you to avoid drinking because you may either create a wrong image of yourself and spoil the date anyways or simply make mistakes.

So, how safe is online dating? I’d say that online dating is 100% safe in case you do not neglect the basic rules which work not only for virtual dating but also for the real-world one. Do not rush events, take your time, avoid conversations about money, do not send or buy gifts on request, and do not share personal things about you unless you are sure you know a person well enough.