New to Online Singles Sites? Here's 5 Ways You Can Date Safely

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.