Tested Online Dating Safety Tips

Your Tips For Staying Safe When Online Dating

April 22, 2011

Meeting a potential love interest on the Internet is not much different than Dating 1.0. If the person is a relative stranger, it's best to take precautions. I asked readers for safety tips specific to online dating, and here are seven experienced readers and Facebook fans offered.

Take it very slow.
Email back and forth first.
Give a Google voice number instead of your real cellphone number.
Meet in a public place for coffee.
Bring a friend the first time you meet.
At the first sign of a red flag, end things.
Just follow your gut.

Anything to add?

Source: Thinkstock

7 Comments

Gators0913 2 years 3 weeks

I met my boyfriend online, and had my own rules for when I was online dating. The biggest one for me was that I always told two people where I was going, when I would check in, and as much information about the guy as I had (usually first and last name and telephone number). I have never felt that online dating was any less safe than meeting someone in the grocery store or at the gym.

teramichelle 2 years 3 weeks

#5 is a bit much. Both for your date, and your friend. Just make a point to tell a friend exactly where and when you're meeting the person, and give them his/her cell #. Also, make it very clear beforehand that you have somewhere to be after, that way you can make a quick escape if the date bombs.

RoaringSilence 2 years 4 weeks

This may not always be possible to work into a conversation, but I don't think it's a bad idea to mention that you don't hook up on the first date. I think a lot of date rape may start out as a misunderstanding of intentions. So if you put that out there before even meeting, the other person is not getting up their hopes.

spacekatgal 2 years 4 weeks

Don't drink would be good advice for any first date, but especially one from the Internet. Make sure your iPhone is charged.

jill10014 2 years 4 weeks

I see your list and agree with numbers 2, 4, 6, and 7 ..... #5 seems altogether stupid. How about meeting during the day even if you are agreeing to meeting in public. Why must women always play the victim?

amykate311 2 years 4 weeks

I actually heard this one on the radio: leave a note in your apartment and your car with the guy's first & last name and his phone number. Also very "CSI" but smart!

Tara Block 2 years 4 weeks

These tips are really great! One of our Twitter followers offered another idea: take a pic of the license plate and send it to a friend. Seems straight out of a criminal drama TV show . . . love it!

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7 Comments

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