Online dating is no longer the taboo it once was. In fact it\u2019s now more acceptable than meeting someone in a bar or nightclub. But whilst people feel that its now more acceptable that doesn\u2019t mean that you should let your guard down when it comes to staying safe online.<\/p>\n
Take it slow. <\/b>So you\u2019ve exchanged emails, spoken on the phone but you don\u2019t have to rush out to meet someone in person. You\u2019ll know when the right time to meet someone is so always trust your gut instinct.<\/p>\n
Think about your online profile. <\/b>Remember that you\u2019re essentially sharing the contents of your dating profile with the world. Are the contents of your profile safe to share with strangers? Give your profile the once over and try to avoid sharing things like your daily routines, where you work, where you study anything that would identify you personally.<\/p>\n
Be wary about sharing photos.<\/b> You need to think carefully about the photos that you share online. Avoid photos that may show information such as where you work or where you live.<\/p>\n
Think about using google voice <\/b>instead of giving out your mobile number. Not only do you keep your phone number a secret until you\u2019re ready to share it but it also saves any awkward moments when you\u2019ve found a mate and still getting texts from previous dates.<\/p>\n
Meet somewhere public. <\/b>So this is the usual advice but when you\u2019re ready to meet someone in person then make sure that you do it somewhere public. Despite what people may say online you can\u2019t always be 100% sure that they\u2019re who they say they are. Avoid somewhere you\u2019re familiar with but not somewhere you go often, remember the rule of not sharing daily routines – you don\u2019t want them showing up if you\u2019re planning on blowing them off.<\/p>\n
If things don\u2019t go right, <\/b>then end things straight away. Don\u2019t feel obliged to stay on a date when you don\u2019t think that things are right. Always remember to follow your gut instincts, if something feels off – leave. Also if you come across any abusive or strange users then remove them asap.<\/p>\n
NEVER, EVER send money to anyone you meet online. <\/b>You may think that its ok to send some cash to someone you\u2019ve been talking too for a long while but it\u2019s never ok.<\/p>\n
Keep your personal information a secret. <\/b>Sharing passwords, bank details or credit card information is a huge no, no. Even if it seems plausible (ie maybe they want to book some concert tickets and you want to pay your share) we\u2019d still advise against doing this.<\/p>\n
Stay sober.<\/b> Wine is the perfect cure to ease those first time dating nerves but don\u2019t go overboard.<\/p>\n
Tell someone and remember to keep them posted.<\/b><\/p>\n
But don\u2019t let horror stories put you off, for every horror story there are thousands of positives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Online dating is no longer the taboo it once was. In fact it\u2019s now more acceptable than meeting someone in a bar or nightclub. But whilst people feel that its now more acceptable that doesn\u2019t mean that you should let your guard down when it comes to staying safe online. Take it slow. So you\u2019ve […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":160,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[144,145,146],"class_list":["post-375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-online-dating","tag-be-safe","tag-stay-safe","tag-stay-safe-online","country-uk"],"yoast_head":"\r\n