Safer Online Dating
Love is in the air during this week of Valentine’s Day! And finding love online is more common than ever with so many dating sites available. However, recent headlines of violent encounters and “romance scams” remind us to be wary of strangers even if they seem amazing in their profiles. This is a good time to keep these tips in mind for safer online dating.
Don’t Share
To find a love match, a good amount of sharing is needed. But in the beginning, you don’t want to share trackable, personal information when getting to know someone new. In fact, when signing up for a dating app, create a separate, new email address for online dating purposes. If situations go awry, it’s easy to cancel your membership and stop using that email address altogether.
Make sure any pictures or video call backgrounds don’t have identifiable location information. It’s actually a good idea to turn off any geo-locating services associated with dating apps as well. Keep the communication on the dating app rather than moving to your phone. Staying on the app makes it easier to block the person and/or report them if needed.
Question Everything
Infatuation can blind you to certain clues at the beginning of a relationship. Make sure to listen to that little voice and question any details that don’t match up to their story. If someone sounds too good to be true, they probably are. Their motivation may be about furthering the relationship, but they could also be hiding a criminal history or intent. Don’t assume everything they tell you is true. A common indication that your new contact may be a scammer is if they ask you for money to help with a sob story or pressure you to meet you in person right away.
Be Judge-y
Doing a little homework on your new love interest is a good idea before meeting them in person. Some dating apps offer background checks depending on your level of membership. There are also several low-cost background check options to help give you peace of mind that the person is who they are representing themselves to be. Again, if anything seems iffy or doesn’t match with what they’ve told you, it may be a good idea to steer clear. When deciding to meet in person, choosing a public spot and alerting friends and family beforehand are good precautions to take.
Cultris Security cares about your safety and security. Contact us for your home or business security needs at 281-506-8466.
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