Online Dating Safety

Online dating safety is an important topic for for keeping your online experience fun and healthy. Recognizing a person that does not have your best interest at heart can prevent a lot of pain in the long run. When you can't see a person in real life, you are left with your own perceptions when reading what they write down without really knowing if they are walking in integrity and trustworthiness. Here are some tips you can adopt into your online habits. Some you already know but are still worth adding to the list. Share this with others that are also using online dating sites:

Never post any personal information on any website or give out emails, phone numbers, or have any sort of financial transaction with a stranger online.

Never use your real name on dating sites and forum boards. You don't have to give this out through email either.

Always remember that anything you post is public for the world to see, including predators and scammers.

Anybody can easily make a fake profile with fake pictures making you believe whatever they want you to believe about them.

The online world creates a sense of detachment that makes irresponsibility and inconsideration easy, which can make predators and scammers more bold in their attempts to take advantage of you.

Always meet in a public place. If the person has a problem with this, you absolutely should be questioning their integrity!

Never feel like you have to provide information to people online simply because you've been connecting well with them, shady people are professionals at manipulating their victims.

It's okay to request that they post clear pictures of themselves and have detailed information listed on their profile. If they aren't willing to comply with this request, you might want to ask yourself why they are online in the first place.

If you go on a date, let friends and family know where you are. Choose public places until you get to know the person for awhile.

Miscommunication is easy online. Don't make any decisions until you have had time to contemplate the things they are telling you. Tell your friends and family and get their opinions on the person. Third perspectives usually have more clarity because they aren't emotionally involved.

Just because someone writes you an email doesn't mean you are obligated to respond.

If something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. If you avoid a situation because you don't feel right about it, a caring, honest person will understand.

Never meet a person who isn't willing to give you information about themselves that would be normal in any offline meet and greet type situation. Make sure you have pictures and a basic idea of who the person is.

Consider double dating or group dating if you feel uncomfortable or even just unsure.

If a person claims you are super amazing or hot or they claim to desperately need your help this is a red flag that they are after something you probably don't need to be giving them.

Always trust your instincts and use common sense.

Be willing to test the person over emails to see how they respond to you. Don't write them for a couple of days or ask them questions that might help you learn more about who they really are and how they've responded to other situations in life. You can learn a lot about a person by how they talk about their life and their past.

It's easy for any of us to behave when we are trying to make a first impression or think we are being judged in the sense of our character. The real test is seeing who a person is when they are not getting their way or are experiencing something negative. A genuine person is going to basically stay the same in their behavior regardless of whether it's negative or positive situations. A person that becomes upset or changes things around trying to get you to do what they want should be raising a red flag! Patience with people can tell you a lot about who they are, so never be in a rush to meet someone. Time will always reveal the truth of their nature. If you're not sure, wait!