We all know that dating apps aren’t the best when it comes to the safety of its users, and some are notorious for romance scams. Sometimes it even feels like we’re hearing a new horror story about a date gone wrong, but a lot of people are stuck depending on dating apps in the middle of the pandemic and continuous lockdowns.
Now, avoiding the online dating scene isn’t the solution, but there must be some things we can do to stay safe while dating online, right? Well, the good news is that there are. If anything, this pandemic is going to be great for your online stalking skills, but we make no promises when it comes to meeting the right person! Sometimes that’s just pure luck.
If you want to know more about staying safe while dating online, keep reading!
Make Sure They’re Single
You won’t believe the amount of people on dating apps that are looking to cheat on their significant others, and while some may not be easy to catch, there are chances you can find out if someone is cheating on their wife with you through easily accessible public records or even background checking sites like this one that can be used for checking Anchorage Municipality marriage records and much more.
If you feel like something fishy is going on, or if you notice a tan line on one particular finger, looking into their background might be worth it.
Be Careful With Personal Information
Never share any personal information with anyone on social media unless you’re sure you can trust them. You can even choose not to tell them where you live or where exactly you work before you’ve been on a date with them, since it’s easier to judge a character when you’re face to face with someone.
It goes without saying that you’re not supposed to put any of that information on your dating profile either. Instead, you can share information about your likes, dislikes, expectations, and about what you offer in a relationship.
Instead of your bio saying “pre-school teacher at XYZ pre-school and I love kids”, it can say “I love kids and work with them on my job, my favorite color is pink, and I’m looking for stability and trust in a relationship”. The good thing about this tip is that even though there isn’t a lot of identifiable personal information in the second bio, it gives a reader a much more accurate idea of what you’re like as a person.
Ignore Any Requests for Money
Dating apps are rife with romance scammers who will invest weeks into a scam just to get a few hundred or even a couple thousand dollars out of you. Be very careful with anyone who seems to have run into money troubles a while after they start talking to you and ask for your assistance, or who does so without ever having met you once. Not only are they probably after your money, but they are likely a catfish too.
Be Careful About Catfishes and Suspicious Profiles
Catfishing brings us to the next subject – suspicious profiles. If you feel like a person is too good to be true and not in a good way, don’t waste time on the profile.
If you think you’re being catfished or if you suspect someone you’re talking to is using someone else’s photos, you need to run a reverse image search on one of their photos in hope of finding the real person behind that face. Best case scenario – it actually turns out to be real and you can continue talking to them with an easy mind. Worst case scenario, it turns out to be a catfish and you get out before becoming too invested in the relationship.
When it comes to online dating, it pays to always follow your gut, keep your standards high, and know what you’re looking for on there – be it a serious long term relationship or a casual holiday fling.
