When dating online, it can be extremely tempting to throw caution to the wind and take some risks you would never normally take. However just like we would exercise caution when shopping online with our card details, we should always be cautious when giving online dating a try.
At the end of the day, you are getting to know people who are actually strangers to you so you have to be careful about what information you share with them. Here are ten ways to ensure you stay safe but still manage to have fun when dating online.
1. Check You Aren’t Being Catfished
Catfishing is a real thing and so many people in the past have been caught out by people pretending to be something they aren’t. Always double check that they are who they say there. Use Google Image Search or similar sites to check their profile pictures and if they give a name, give them a quick Google search—see how true to life they are actually being.
2. If In Doubt, Don’t Share Any Information
Someone you meet through online dating asks you for any personal information straight off the bat, then you have every right to be wary. No genuine person would ask to know such things straight away.
3. Block Them if You Are Creeped Out
If the person is making you feel uncomfortable, block them and remove them from your attention. You do not have to meet up with anyone that you don’t want to and if someone is persisting and pressuring you, you have every right to block them and remove them from your life.
4. Meet Local People
Meeting local people is a great way to stay safe as you already know your local area and know whereabouts the best and most safe places to meet are. If people are trying to scam you in any way, they aren’t likely to do so to a local person.
5. Choose a Safe Place to Meet For the First Time
If you are using a site like benaughty to meet new people to date, make sure that you choose a safe place to meet someone for the first time. Remember that they are still strangers up until the time you meet them and you cannot trust someone you have only spoken to in a few messages online.
6. Tell People What You Are Doing and Where You Are Going
As well as choosing a safe place to meet, make sure you tell a few people that you are going on a date. Tell them who it is with, where it is and from what time. This also gives you someone to contact if the date isn’t going very well and you need an escape route.
7. Daytime Dates Can Be Fun
Another way to ensure safety is to consider giving day dating a try. Dates usually take place in the evening but a day date can be just as fun and sometimes even much safer. You can visit multiple public places on your date and have fun whilst still ensuring you are safe at all times.
8. Find Out More About Them
Whilst you may be checking you aren’t being catfished and searching their names and pictures, it may also help to find out more about them. Their job, their likes in life, things that you can easily verify are true with the few clicks of a button.
9. Check Their Language
You can tell a lot about someone from their language. If their messages contain quite poor grammar and poor English, you have every right to be wary of them as you may not know of their intentions—especially if they are claiming to be something or someone else entirely. There’s also the potential of them using quite coarse and rude language—if someone is making you feel uncomfortable, don’t hesitate in blocking them.
10. Relax and Have Fun
At the end of the day, dating is meant to be fun so as well as making sure you are safe, it is important to also relax and not take things too seriously. As long as you ensure you are keeping safe at all times, then relaxing and having fun when dating is okay.
