1. Meet in public at first
The first time you meet this person in real life should be in a public location like a coffee shop or restaurant. It doesn’t matter how long you have spoke to them, it’s a basic safety precaution and should be followed when you are dating people you have met online. If things go well, you can go to a hotel/their place/your place after a few dates but only after you feel more comfortable with this person.
2. Tell a friend and “check in”
Tell at least one person in your life where you are going and who with. You can also check in with them to let them know everything is OK. Don’t have time to make a phone call or it is just too awkward to do so when you are on a date? We have launched an app that allows you to assign contacts to check in with. You can then check in which lets them know everything is fine or you can alert them to some kind of danger, allowing them to get in touch with the proper authorities.
3. Do your research
If you are interested in meeting up with a particular person, do a little bit of research into them first. Putting their name into search engines and other social media sites should help give you a little more insight into their life. If you uncover anything shady, it isn’t too late to bail! Don’t think of this step as stalking but rather as “research.”
4. Video chat first
Nowadays, there should be absolutely no reason why your date is not prepared to video chat before the initial meeting goes ahead. Doing so will give you an opportunity to make sure this person is who they say they are. Video chat also allows you to get to know each other and see if the spark is still there when speaking face to face.
5. Trust your instincts
If somebody seems too good to be true either online or when you have met in real life, don’t be afraid to stop contact with this person. There are a lot of online dating scams out there and there are also many catfish. If somebody you are talking to makes you feel uncomfortable at any point, his that block button and move on to the next one!
These online dating safety tips are definitely going to improve your peace of mind when dating online, and when combined with our the SafeDate app you can greatly increase your safety when meeting up with men/women that you have only contacted prior on dating websites. Follow these tips to ensure fun but safe dating experiences on the internet.