Online Dating Safety Tips - How to Protect Yourself
With today’s new lifestyle changes, more and more people are turning to dating apps to meet and connect. Although it is a great way to enter the dating scene, there are a few things to keep in mind. Online dating has become a haven for predators and scammers so before you swipe right, make sure to follow these safety tips.
Everyone lies.
According to a recent survey, approximately 53% of people admitted to lying on their dating profiles. Don’t assume everything you see posted is true. In fact, you should assume it isn’t this way and you should tread carefully. Share minimal information about yourself and never give your last name or birthday, including your horoscope sign.
Go private.
Make all your social accounts private while you’re online looking for love. Fraudsters use these apps to collect data on you, then cross-reference it with your social media. They don’t need to guess where you went to high school – it’s posted on your Facebook profile. This is a common tactic used to build a profile on someone, gather their personal information, then steal their identity and hack into their accounts.
Keep your friends in the loop.
If you decide to meet up, make sure at least one person knows where you are going, who you’re meeting, and a timeframe of when you expect to be home. Have them call in to check up on you. It might even be a good idea to share your location with that friend, roommate, or family member using an app like Life360.
Provide your own transportation.
Never let them come to your home or even meet you outside. Drive your own car, Uber, or even better have a friend drop you off and pick you up - either way, meet there. First, you don’t want strangers to know where you live. Second, you are in control of when you get there and when you choose to leave.
Connect in a public place.
Whether it be a restaurant, a coffee shop, or a public park – make sure there are other people around. You don’t want to be alone with someone you don’t know – and this isn’t just for the first date it’s for your first several dates. Also, it doesn’t hurt to carry pepper spray with you for extra precaution.
