Online Dating Safety Tips: How to Protect Yourself Online and in Person

Online dating services now abound in the internet. Man searching for woman and vice versa for his/her life partner or just friend just simply join in this dating service. You've decided to join in an online dating world. You've signed up on an online dating service and ticked off the list of "Do's" in your mind -- giving honest information about yourself, things or personalities you look for in a date, posting a current photo of yours - and you're definitely not going to settle for someone who only meets a few of your expectations.

Before heading to a first exciting date, back up your "Do's" with "Don'ts." Tick off a few of your "Don'ts" to help you keep safe during your online dating adventures. You need a little self-policing of your online romance etiquette to keep you from experiencing some of the bad encounters on the internet dating world.

1. Careful consideration on what personal information you put in your profile and what things you're comfortable discussing with your potential online dates.

Try to be honest but choosy in giving your personal information. Choose screen name that is not close to your real name. Some information that are not be divulged to your potential dates are:

- your family's information

- your home address and phone number

- your salary

- your business location and phone number

- your personal numbers such as PINs, bank accounts, SS

These info I mentioned must be kept strictly private unless you're sure to meet someone you feel safe revealing these. Even in a few personal meetings, you must play safe with these strictly private info. Be aware of what info you're giving out and to whom because even the smartest women can be duped into making bad decisions sometimes.

2. Chat accounts specifically for online dating must be different from an internet-based email account.

I know this could be a hassle in signing up and remembering yet another email account but in this way you can keep the online dating process relatively confined and private. Mix-ups with your work email and chat services can be avoided. Of course, you don't like very private, sexy, steamy email coming to or from your work address. Having a chat account for online dating separate from your work email account will save you of potential regret in the long run when you decide to discontinue your dating adventures and can simply delete your dating email account and start over.

3. Consider getting a second cell phone.

This may sound being extravagant, but this is important. Of course you don't like stalker who knows your personal and/or business cell phone numbers. If you're serious about online dating, have a second cell phone which is for online dating contacts only. Cellphones nowadays have become highly affordable and many are free with signup, and most services offer many choices of pre-paid plans designed to fit any budget.

Before you signup in any online dating service, do have a second cellphone already. In this case you'll know exactly who has your number. You can leave your second cellphone at home so as not to be tempted to carry on your dating calls and texts while you are in your work or in non-dating functions. Like your dating email address, you can simply toss the phone or change your number or cancel the service should the online dating adventure make you uncomfortable... And you will have peace of mind.

4. When you're ready to personally meet someone, do so in public place.

Not everyone in the world we live is honest and you don't know the real person you shortly acquainted with in online dating. Your safety is most important in dealing with online dating scene. If you like to go to a safety step further, insist on a double dating or a group dating for your first meeting. If you're not at ease with group situations, have your good friend drive you to your meeting location. This good friend of yours doesn't have to be your chaperone or sit with you. Better yet, have one or two friends with you and they can ease themselves to a different area in a bar, restaurant, whatever is the public meeting location. Knowing that someone you trust is there, should you need to make excuses from your date, you can leave quickly.

While people you meet through online dating services can be interesting, exciting and could possibly open up possibilities that you never had the opportunity to discover under other circumstances, do gather up all the common sense before plunging into this experience. With a little prudence, you might end up finding a perfect date or partner in life.