Let’s face it. More and more people today are using online dating to find the person of their dreams. Online dating gives you a chance to meet people that you may not have been able to meet otherwise. While you can find success while dating online, you also need to be careful. You need to understand that you are meeting strangers when you find someone online. Even if you have been communicating online or on the phone for a while, you still don’t really know this person. If you are planning to try online dating, there are a few safety tips that you should follow.
#1 Use a Phone or Texting App
When you connect with a person you are interested in, the online conversations only last for so long. Eventually, you will want to start texting the person or talking to them on the phone. At the beginning, you should avoid giving the person your phone number. If things don’t work out and the person turns out to be crazy, they could end up making your life miserable by calling and texting you constantly. It is best to download an app on your phone which will give you a phone number different than yours for you to connect with this person. If things work out well, eventually, you can give them your actual phone number.
#2 Meet Your Date at the Destination
If you are going on a first date with someone that you met online, you should make arrangements to meet at the destination. If you don’t really know the person yet, you don’t want them to know where you live. If they turn out to be crazy, the last place that you want them to show up is at your house.
#3 Meet in a Public Place
For the first few meetings, you should meet your date at a public place. While cooking dinner for your date and then watching a movie at home is nice for a date, it isn’t a good idea for the first few dates. Since you don’t really know much about your date at first, you should meet at a public place. When you start to get to know the person better, you can start entertaining at your home.
#4 Tell Someone Where You Are Going
If you are going somewhere to meet your date, you should let a friend or family member know where you are going and who you are meeting. You may not want your friends to know that you have been trying to meet someone online, however, if something were to happen, you want someone to know where you are and who you are with.
#5 Keep Your Cellphone Charged
If something bad were to happen on your date, you want to have a charged cell phone just in case you need someone to come and rescue you. It is also a good idea to have enough money to pay the bill and call a cab if you need to get away quickly.
#6 Don’t Send Anyone Money
Many scam artists today use online dating sites as a way to get a quick payday. These people will create fake profiles with fake photos and start communicating with people. Not long after the initial conversation, they will ask for money. Many of these scam artists say that they want to visit but they don’t have the money to do so. They do this hoping that the person will send them money and then never speak to them again. If you are communicating with someone on an online dating site and they start to hint around that they need money, you should stop all communication immediately.
#7 Don’t Drink Too Much
When you are on a date with someone you met online, you want to have a clear mind. You also want to be aware of things that are going on around you. When you drink too much, it can impair your judgment. You don’t want this to happen when you are on a date with someone you don’t really know. Having a glass of wine or a beer is fine, however, you don’t want to get drunk on your date.
Millions of marriages have been the result of online dating. If you are going to try to find “the one” on an online dating site, you just need to make sure you know what steps to take to keep yourself safe during the first few dates just in case the person you are talking to is not who you thought they were.