Dating online is a popular and convenient way to find a person for a romantic or serious relationship. Millions of people create profiles on different platforms and apps in the hope that they finally meet their significant others. It's worth noting that most of them succeed in finding a perfect match on the Web.
However, there is always a reverse of the coin. Some users of dating websites complain they have been scammed or catfished at least once. How to avoid scammers and frauds on the Web? That is the topic of our today's article. We from Ukrainianrealbrides.com have prepared a list of advice for online dating which you should keep in mind before interacting with other users.
Google Your Partner
This tip may sound as if it relates to job interviews. It's a common situation when employers make research on their candidates on the Web. You should act as an employer - Google your future girlfriend/boyfriend in advance.
It doesn't mean you should make a deep research aiming to find out all the personal details of your potential partner. Just try to find his/her Facebook or Instagram profile. It may surprise you how many additional facts you may get from these sources. If you are lucky enough to detect a real profile, not a fake one, you will discover places your potential partner visits, people he/she usually communicates with, and even ideas he/she shares.
Personal Details You Should Keep Safe and Secure
If you want to know how to meet someone online safely, you should keep in mind some safety precautions. One of them relates to personal details you usually share on the Web. Check out the list of facts you should keep safe and secure:
- financial details;
- address of your home and office;
- your phone number.
Remember, if someone tries to get the above-mentioned facts from you, you're most likely chatting with a scammer or a fraud. Dating websites and apps will never send you a request for a login and password, a credit card number, or whatever.
Make a Phone Call Before Real Date
We live in a world of texts and messengers. People consider texting as an easier, faster, and more convenient way of communication than phone calls. It may be true but when we're talking about Internet dating safety rules, we shouldn't neglect traditional phone talks.
This "old-school" safety tip may sound strange but it works. You'll hear the real voice of your partner, feel his/her emotions and verbal cues which are difficult to understand in texts. For people who prefer not to show a real phone number, there is a useful service - Google Voice Number. Just log in and choose an available phone number.
Use Video Chats
This rule derives from the previous one. Video live-chats are even more reliable and useful way for interaction between men and women online. FaceTime, Whatsapp video calls, and other apps allow communicating with a person behind the screen as if it's a real face-to-face date. Use this advice for online dating to know your partner better.
While talking via video call you'll detect unfiltered emotions, verbal cues, and easily check the ability of your partner to speak English. The latter is particularly important. It's a traditional practice on dating websites to use interpreters for girls who don't know English well. Thus, your significant other may sound like a native speaker in texts but in real life, you'll hardly manage to speak with each other on simple topics.
Avoid Suspicious Profiles
What are they - suspicious profiles? If you communicate with a girl who's profile has only one photo without a brief bio and links to social networks, it's a high risk you've met a scammer online. Don't let fraud catfish you with an appealing avatar photo. Stay sober and try to get more details about this account. If you feel it's a scammer, you may block it and report to the Website or dating platform you use.
Remember About Red Flags
Dear gentlemen, keep in mind online dating safety tips for men to avoid wasting your time and money. Sometimes we're so excited by a girl that we ignore evident facts showing us that we're in trouble. We should be aware of red flags that signal about scammers:
- your potential girlfriend resist video calls;
- she grills you about personal details from the first moments of your dialogue - how do you do for a living, what is your salary, where do you live and so on;
- she's always online on a dating platform;
- from the very first minutes of your communication, she complains about bad and poor life, unhealthy relatives, and so on to ask you for money.
Use the System of Your Dating Platform for Chatting, not Messengers
Dating websites and apps have their systems for chatting. Some of them aren't so convenient as traditional Whatsapp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, or something else. But it's safer to text each other via a special messenger of your dating site.
Go on a Date to a Public Place
Hopefully, your online dating won't finish on the Web and you'll reach the next step - face-to-face dates. Thus, you should follow both Internet dating safety rules and common security tips for offline meetings with strangers.
A location for at least the first and second dates must be public. Choose crowded spots with lots of people around like cafes, skate rinks, parks, cinemas, or whatever. You never know what's in the mind of another person. If you feel uncomfortable, you'll always have somebody around you may ask for help.
Tell your Friends Where Are You Going on a Date
It's a very important precaution for both men and women. Just inform your best friend or even relatives where you are going on a date. If something goes wrong and you don't come back home at the attended time, it will be easier to find you.
Stay Aware and Alert
How to meet someone online safely? Dear singles, don't be trustworthy and naive. It stands for both online and offline dating. It's better to spend an hour or two searching for additional info about your potential partner than feel sorry for being scammed by a fake account.
If you need more details concerning safety and security in online dating, feel free to contact us. Our team from Ukrainianrealbrides.com are always happy to help our clients build their happy future.