Online Dating – Play It Safe
Everyone knows that dating your co-workers is never a good idea.
And meeting someone in a bar rarely leads anywhere.
So what is a single person to do?
Many turn to online dating sites to find their ideal mate. As online dating sites become more popular, there are the unscrupulous, and downright criminal, few who use the sites in ways that they weren’t intended.
If you’ve met someone on an online dating site and want to meet, here’s how to do it safely:
Use a Second Email Address
When you sign up for an online dating service, do so with a secondary email address.
You can set up a new email address using Gmail, Yahoo or even Outlook.
By creating a secondary email address, you eliminate the risk of someone tracing you using your primary account.
Additionally, don’t give out your phone number, street address or any other personal information about yourself or your family members.
Plan it to the Detail
When you do decide to meet, make sure that you plan the date down to the last detail.
Never agree to meet someone somewhere and decide what to do on the fly.
By planning your date, you can let friends and family know where you will be and when. If the date is going well and you do decide to go somewhere unplanned, call or text a friend and let them know where you’re headed.
If you live alone, be sure to let someone know when you’ve arrived home safely.
Meet, Don’t Ride
Never let someone that you haven’t met pick you up for your first date.
Let me repeat that:
“Never let someone that you haven’t met pick you up for your first date” – Click To Tweet
Meet somewhere that is mutually acceptable and convenient for you both. For added security, you may want to consider renting a car or taking a taxi.
It may seem over-the-top, but you’d be surprised at how much information a savvy criminal can get from your license plate number.
Keep it Public
As tempted as you may be to make your date private and intimate, keep the first date or two as public as possible.
Go to a restaurant, a bowling alley or even an amusement park.
By staying in the public eye, you’re more likely to stay safe while on your date.
Save more private dates for after you get to know each other better.
Conduct a Background Check
There are dozens of sites online that will allow you to conduct a background check on your potential date.
You’ll need to pay for the background check but the added security will be well worth the money.
While a few speeding tickets shouldn’t make you shy away, any criminal activity should have you running for the hills. You may not want to conduct a background check on everyone that you make contact with, but you’ll definitely want to conduct one on any person that you plan on meeting face-to-face.
Online dating sites are fantastic for people who are too busy to meet people on their own.
If you’re tired of sitting on the couch watching television every Friday night, creating an online profile can be the answer.
If you choose to meet anyone in person, make sure that you keep your wits about you and keep a modicum of common sense; doing both will have you returning home as safe as you were when you left.
Speak Your Mind, With Your Opinion
Nice to see you made it this far so here’s what you can do next:
- What’s your thoughts on a background check for every date?
- How do you go about planning for a date?
- Click one of the Share buttons – your friends can then read this article too.
And thanks for reading too – Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
I write for Cupidslibrary where you can find dating sites for Christians.
Lawrence – who has written 1 posts on GeekandJock.
Very important points in this age of con men and opportunists waiting at every corner to make money (and other serious crimes). Thanks for sharing-this post is a must-read for youngsters especially young women.
It’s unfortunate that there will always e those that seek to profit on the misfortune of others, Dipa.
We hope the post helps others in playing it a little safer.
Thank you for your words of encouragement too – always great to see you here.
background check for every date might be a bit too much. For online dating, especially for a first date, like you said, keeping it public, casual and safe is good enough.
There are some dating services that match you up with people for more serious long term relationships that are geared toward people looking to be married, in those cases a background check might not be a bad idea.
For first date, a casual drink, coffee or a bar for a beer is good enough.
Jeez, I think I’d be mortified to think I’d had a background check run on me just for a first date.
Sure, it’s probably a good thing when you both decide to take it further and get a little serious so you’re both solid in knowing the each one isn’t a scumbag.