So, you went over your reviews, and have finally picked a site you want to sign up with. Hooray, good for you! Keep in mind, though, there are things you still must do to stay safe during the dating process itself. Even though you have finally picked a great site, the site may not be able to screen all of its clients adequately. This has no bearing on the site itself, really. It is usually just because of the sheer volume of people who sign up and make use of the sites. The fact that, short of asking for a State issued I.D., there really is no way to tell if someone on the site is a real person or not. So with this in mind, ask your self, what do you want people who know absolutely nothing about you, to learn about you? Do you want to give out your last name; address and phone number right off the bat? That probably is not a good idea.
When filling out your online dating profile, it is always a good idea only to give your first name and general area that you live in. You do not want just anyone knowing who you are and where you live. You never know who will be showing up on your doorstep otherwise.
Another thing to keep in mind is that because people do lie, when you meet someone for the first time, you might want to make the meeting informal. This makes it a little easier for an impromptu exit if needed at the last minute. What is meant by this is if you go on your first date and find that they are not what you expected, you could always bow out gracefully. Knowing that it was not a fancy dinner or something extraordinarily out of the way somehow always makes it seem easier to let someone down. For example, suppose you are supposed to meet someone at a park that claimed to be a tall handsome man with a fancy car and owning his own business. When you show up to meet this person, it turns out to be just another short and skinny 18 year old kid still living with their parents, you will be able to leave and retain your dignity. That is if you have not fallen in love already over the online portion of your dating.
This brings me to the last, but not the least of the most important tips to protect you while dating online. You want to make sure that you do not get attached too quickly to your prospective match. It has been seen many times, two people will start their relationship online and it will get hot and heavy very quickly. A little too quickly, sometimes to the point that by the time the first date in person is set up, one or the other are already emotionally vested in the “relationship.” This in itself can cause many problems. And for the exact reasons that are mentioned above. You may have “fallen in love” with a person who is not who they claim to be. That is why it is a must to set up a first in person meet as soon as feasibly possible. This way it will be easier and quicker to find out if your “soul mate” to be really is “the one” they claim to be.
A person can do many things to stay safe while dating online. However, most of the time, just following your instincts is the best way to tell if you are safe, or if you should run for the hills. Because in the end, it really does not matter what the books say, if your heart is not happy, then you never will be.
