By now, you have probably heard a lot about people meeting online and starting long-lasting relationships. And you might even know a couple that met online and are now super happy together.
But is it safe to date online? Well, the sad truth is that, sometimes, it can be dangerous, as there are scammers and criminals on dating sites and apps that might try to take advantage of you or harm you in some way. At the same time, though, it can certainly be safe to date online, especially if you take the right precautions to protect yourself.
What are some of the ways that you can help ensure you will stay safe when you are looking for love online? Continue reading to access a list of tips that you can easily implement, regardless of what app or site you’re using to make new connections with people.
Confirm the Identity of Someone You’re Interested In
One of the best ways that you can protect yourself when dating online is by verifying the identity of anyone that you’re interested in.
Sure, you can start talking to matches to begin to get to know them better, but once you feel like you are really interested, it’s wise to take a step back and pause for a bit while you run a background check on them. Using Nuwber is a great place to start because you can just type in their full name, address, or phone number to access details like police records, property ownership records, lawsuits, and more.
Why should you consider taking this extra step? Well, anyone can make a dating profile with surprising ease, even if they are pretending to be someone that they aren’t. So, if you want to verify that someone is being genuine about who they are, taking some time to run a background check on them is a good way to do it.
Check Out Their Social Media Pages
If you can access someone’s social media pages, those can reveal quite a bit more about the individual.
For instance, if you find their Instagram, you can see the types of photos and videos that they have posted over the years. And if you find them on Facebook, you can also check out what their opinions are on various topics based on the things that they have posted.
You might find that they act very differently on social media than they do on the dating app with you, and that may be a red flag.
Don’t Give Away Your Personal Information
Finally, even if someone seems totally trustworthy and sincere, it’s best to keep your private and personal details to yourself until you are completely certain that you can trust them. Again, there are plenty of scammers who take advantage of people on dating apps, so you don’t want to fall victim to someone who might be aiming to steal your identity or money, or who would put you in harm’s way.
Share basic information about yourself that can help someone get to know you better, but don’t go into private details like your current address or any other private information that you wouldn’t want a stranger to know. Once you verify they’re being honest about who they are, and you’ve really gotten to know them over a longer period of time, you might start to feel more comfortable with sharing more details about yourself.
