If you have the internet, then surely you are not new to dating online. Yes, online dating is fun, an exciting way to meet new friends and it can be really addictive. However, you must be warned of things you should look out for before you try it out. There have been more and more reported cases of identity theft or fraud on some sites. To avoid such problems and scams, here are 3 basic online dating tips that can help you.

Tip #1

Tell No One Anything.

Do not reveal any of your private information to anyone on any online dating site. Information like phone number, address should never be revealed to anyone, even if you have known them online for sometime or have been talking to them. You will never know who is really behind that persona you are talking to. The picture in the profile might not even be the real person! It pays to be cautious when dealing with anyone online. Some of these cyber criminals may even attempt try to trick you to reveal more personal information by pretending to be one of your friends. With such tricksters abound online, you must be paranoia about revealing any information to anyone online.

Tip #2

No site is safe. Period.

Having a website does not mean that whoever owns it is credible. Some owners of online dating websites will lure you in, request all your personal information and then sell those information to stalkers or other cyber criminals. Sometimes they sell these information to other companies which may seem legitimate but they in turn might resell your information to dubious characters. Also note that some websites that require you to enter a detailed password do not always mean a secure site. Always check that these websites have encryption enabled when you are submitting your information. Read all the fine print on privacy statement on these sites. Find out exactly what they can do and what they cannot do with your information. If possible, stick to mainstream or a famous online dating site. Sure, they are more expensive but the price is worth it to protect your identity from being stolen.

Tip #3

Use a nickname.

Never use your real name on the online dating site. Use a nickname or an alias instead. For example if your name is Jane Doe, use something else like lovewitch2007 instead. And if someone does ask you for your real name, you can give them a fake one.

All the 3 tips are meant to be basic guidelines that you should adhere to in order to protect yourself on any online dating site. You may be surprised at what people can find out online. It is better to be safe than sorry when you find out that "you" have been committing cyber crimes online and you have to go through the hassle of proving that it was not you.

Have fun meeting new people online but remember to protect yourself at the same time. Visit my website to read more about the various online dating sites.