Safe Online Dating Tips

The Internet can be a great place to meet friends or even form lasting and loving relationships. It’s also a place where some are online with the intent to take advantage of or to hurt others. It’s always best to be educated and alert.

Below is more detailed information on ways you can be safer while searching for a relationship online.

Trust your gut.

If you get a feeling that something isn’t right, trust your instinct and exit the situation. If you are afraid of offending the person, you can do so politely. Our survival instincts sense danger faster than our logical mind. You may not be able to identify what made you nervous until later.

Get a face pic and phone number before meeting them:

If the person knows you have their photo in your email inbox, it could make them wary of doing something to harm you. A phone number allows you to talk beforehand (more on this below) and is another piece of information you can leave around or give to a friend.

If/When you decide to meet in person, meet in public:

If you agree to meet up with only one person, but multiple people show up, do not go with them. If you meet up and the person doesn’t look like the picture, ask them about it. If they don’t have a satisfactory answer, exit.

But why meet in public if we are meeting up for sex only?

To be safe, meet in public close to your destination, and spend a few minutes talking about what you want to do (and what you don’t want to do) sexually. This gives you some time to get a sense of this person with others around.

Meeting in public:

• Meeting up in well?lit place is best, a café or restaurant with other people around.
• If you would rather meet at a bar or a club, remember to get your own drinks. If you drink at all, drink only a bit. Intoxication may be seen as vulnerability.
• If someone insists on getting your drink for you, tell them no. If they still don’t respect that, please do not to take the drink and consider ending your time with the person.
• Another advantage of meeting in public is that you can bring friends with you. They can watch your back and they can let you know their impressions of your date.
• If you decide to leave with the person, get the address of where you’ll be and their phone number. Introduce them to the bartender, friends, or acquaintances before leaving. Let them know you gave info to your friends so they know where you are for safety.