However it is still best to observe safety measure when dating online. With millions of strangers out there, an individual will never know if the person they are about to date is 100% harmless.

Here are some safe dating tips for people who are into online dating:

1. Anonymity

Even if you’re already eyeing the profile of somebody that you particularly like, it is still best not to divulge any personal information like e-mail address, home address, contact number, or any pertinent information that would reveal your true identity.

2. Honest profiles

Being honest does not necessarily mean revealing personal information immediately. Being honest with one’s profile means simply being true to one’s self. It’s best not to create a dishonest profile or to display a fake picture. At the least this will disappoint others and waste their time if they find you are not what they wanted after all.

3. Pressure measure

It would be safer not to meet somebody who pressures you to meet immediately. It could mean a lot of things that might not be favorable to you.

4. Inconsistency

Be wary of people who are inconsistent with their profile information. They may not be telling the truth about themselves.

5. If somebody seems to be depressed, it would be better to stop all contacting with them.

Uneasiness is a good indicator if something is likely to get out of hand. If you feel uneasy or uncomfortable about any relationship, stop communication immediately.

All of these things boil down to the fact that safety on online dating starts with you. Set certain safety rules for yourself and stick to them. No-one can give you better protection than you yourself.

Below are some tips to guide you safely when dating.

1. Make arrangements to meet at a specific location, but do not let the person pick you up from your house.

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2. You should meet in places where there are many people so you can ask for help if your date gives you trouble. Public places such as malls or daytime parks are good places to begin with. If it is possible, you could go double or group date.

3. When you are eating in a restaurant or café, go Dutch. Pay half of the bill. In that way, you won’t feel under any obligation to continue the relationship if you don’t like the person.

4. If possible, avoid drinking alcohol while on a date. Alcohol could affect your judgment and lessen inhibitions. If you are drinking, keep the drink in sight all the time. Do not get too drunk. You might not know or remember what happened later on. Â

5. If you have a car, use it. Make sure the gas tank is full.

6. Assuming that your date is safe just because they claim to be religious is wrong. For all you know, they could have a hidden, more unfavourable side.

7. Do not let any first-time date know where your house is. Only assess after the second date if you should let them know where you live.

8. At night, avoid going to secluded, dark areas like parks or dimly lit places.

9. Listen to what your gut says. If there is something that does not feel right, then most likely, it is not. Leave immediately if you feel something isn’t quite right.

10. Tell someone whom you are with and where you will be going. You might also want to arrange a time schedule where someone could call you later and check up on you. You could also plan to meet some friends after the date.

11. Do not give your home contact number. If you really have to give contact information, give your mobile phone number.

12. Stay alert. Having fun the whole time does not mean you should let your guard down. Be sure you have a cell phone with you.

Online dating may be fun, but your safety should be your primary concern.

How would you know that the person you will be meeting for the first time is honest and is not deceiving you? Here are some tips to guide you.

1. Listen to what your gut is saying. If something does not feel right when communicating with him or her, it is probably an indication to move on. Trust on your instincts.

2. Do not give out your personal home information too early. If your date is an honest person, they will understand. They should also be aware of the danger that may lurk in online dating, and agree on some measures for protection. In fact, they may admire you for it, because it shows that you are not cheap, nor desperate for a date.

3. To maximize your safety, make an anonymous electronic mail account in services like Yahoo or Hotmail. Try not to give your complete name. This will protect your privacy. If you think someone is trustworthy enough to give out your main email address and other information, then you can give him or her the information.

4. If you think you have gathered enough information about your date, you could try doing a background check. If he or she is honest, they shouldn’t make a big deal about it. After all, honest people don’t have anything to hide, do they?

Keep in mind that there are people out there who lie about their profile and the things they are saying over the Internet. Some lie about their marital status, some over their physical appearances, and some about their intentions. Be alert at all times. Not all people in online dating services are good people. Trust your instincts. Hopefully, you will find one that is honest and has good intentions for you. He or she might be your destiny.

While online dating services have benefits, there are some serious drawbacks too. The most important concern is your safety. How can you know whether that otherwise sweet and loving chat mate of yours you meet in an online service is a rapist or stalker?  Â
Like traditional dating, online dating has some risks. To avoid danger, consider the following tips.

1. In your profile, it is good not to include detailed personal information, such as your personal home address, job address, telephone number, or email address. Dating sites, especially the reputable ones, make sure that all their members are safe. Some do it by checking the criminal records of their members, some by automatically deleting any detailed information in your personal profile.

2. It would be good if you know more about the person you just met online before giving him or her any personal information. Take some time in getting to know him or her first before setting up a date.

3. Don’t put false information in your profile or a fake photograph. If you want people to be honest with you too, be genuine in your information. Honesty is the best policy. A cliché, yes; but it works in online dating.

4. It might be good to have an email account set up in fee email sites like Yahoo or Hotmail. Give this email address to online users who want to have your email, instead of your main email address. If you don’t want a person to contact you again, then at least your main email address is safe and free from his or her emails.

5. Be careful of people who:

- Want to meet up with you instantly and pressure you to do so.

- Bug you to give your personal contact details when they themselves don’t want to give you their personal contact information.

- Are not consistent in giving you information about their martial status, age, employment.

- Avoid answering questions that are too personal.

6. If somebody is bothering you already, stop sending him or her messages immediately.

Online dating is fun, but you have to be aware that it also has safety risks as well.

Here are a few tips to make online dating less risky and more fun:

1. Anonymity Breeds Safety, For Awhile

Giving your real email address, personal web site URL, last name, phone number, place of work, home address, or any other information that identifies you in your profile or first few emails that you exchange with other members makes you an easy victim. Turn off your signature file, or make sure that it does not have any identifying information, when sending emails to a member through your own email.

2. Photo Perfect Request

To give an idea of the person’s look, thus make you a tad safer, request for a picture. A scanned photo won’t cost so much, so no excuse can be given for not doing it.

3. Lean on Common Sense

Trusting your online acquaintances easily can make you easy bait. If your gut feel tells you that someone is lying, there’s a big chance that you are right. Look for someone that deserves your trust. Online intimacy is very dangerous. Don’t indulge yourself in such endeavor at the click of a mouse. Logical thinking will save you a lot of trouble.

4. Call First, Don’t Drool Just Yet

A person’s skills when it comes to communicating can be easily gauged through a phone call. Though it might cost you some moolah, it is worth it to make sure you don’t fall for someone who is anti-social. However, to make things a lot safer, use a cell phone or a pay phone instead of using your land line. Unless you are absolutely comfortable with the person you are calling, don’t give your home phone number at once.

5. Delay the Meeting

It is advisable to take your time and get to know the person as much as possible first before saying yes to a face to face meeting. If he seems to be only spouting or keying saccharine words that you want to hear, the person on the other end might have a questionable honesty. Don’t feel like you are obligated to meet anyone, you still have the last say on whether you are ready to meet the person or not. You are free to change your mind if anything feels not right.

6. Psychoanalyze or End up with a Psycho

You should pay attention to any signs of intense frustration, anger or any displays of aggressive behavior. If the person is trying to control or pressure you, stop the communication. Here are the other alarming manifestations of bad behavior that will make you aware that you are in danger.Â
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- giving dubious info about appearance, age, interests, profession, marital status, etc.
- refusal to converse with you over the phone when you have already established online intimacy
- consistently not giving any direct answers to direct questions, etc.
- overly agreeing to your every statement
- asking you to provide travel arrangements

7. Offline Meeting

Before meeting your online friend, tell someone reliable where you will go and when you will return. Leaving your date’s name and phone number is a good idea. Bring your mobile phone. Don’t allow your date to pick you up at home. Have your own transportation and meet somewhere public. During the date, don’t leave your drink unattended. After the date, leave on your own too.

To make online dating work, it is imperative that you exercise caution. Have ample time to get to know the other person, don’t rush yourself or allow anyone to rush you into doing anything. It’s better to be safe and dateless for a while than sorry.Â

• Use only a free email account. By using your email accounts with sites such as Yahoo, Gmail, Bigfoot and Hotmail, you make easy correspondence while keeping your local email secure. Do consider hard to guess passwords which are different from your log in name.Â
• Avoid creating a profile name that gives a clue as to where you’re from and who you are. Choose a simple nickname but far from your true identity, to avoid getting your personal information accessed by unwanted individuals.

Also, avoid revealing too much personal data when filling in your profile, as these ads appear automatically to all.

When in an online conversation:

• Ensure secrecy. Keep in mind to never expose and provide anyone with your personal information such as full name, address, phone number and email address. Take it as a warning if anybody asks for yoru personal details early in the conversation. You are in control here, and you can stop communicating when you feel uncomfortable. A lot of sites offer a messaging system which can be used for communicating with singles. Using this system is safer than using your email.
• Remain anonymous. Don’t give personal information readily. During communications, ask questions. Ask him or her about his hobbies, education, career and interests. Take note of all of these, as the person you are talking to needs to be consistent. If they are not consistent then chances are they are not being truthful with you and not worth your time.
• Be honest. Likewise in your end, be honest enough, but at the same time not giving too much information as far as your work and home address is concerned. Just be truthful with your conversations.  Convey your intentions as clearly as possible. And if you don’t like him, tell him politely. Don’t find excuses and give him the impression that you are interested in meeting with him if you are not.
• Be safe. If after many emails both of you feel that it is time to be talking on the phone, the man should be the one to give the girl his number and the girl should be the one to call the man. The girl should never give her phone number.
• Be protected. When you are definitely sure that you would want to meet the person offline, ask him for references, such as his friends, relatives or co- workers. This is not to give them the feeling that you don’t trust them, but if they too trust you, they would understand that you are very much willing to meet with him, but you just want to be on the safe side. If he has a genuine and sincere interest in you and has nothing to be afraid of, then he shouldn’t repel, but willingly give you all the information.

You could also do a background check. There are sites which offer this for free.

The meeting:Â

• Inform somebody of the meeting. When the plan for a meeting is already set up, make certain you tell your friend or a member of the family where exactly are you going and who you’re meeting.Â
• Bring your cell phone along, so in cases of emergency, you can call your friend right away.
• Use common sense and judge accordingly.
• Meet him or her in a public place such as a café, park, museum, or anywhere as long as there are a lot of people.

Dos and Don’ts on your first date:

• Do pray before a date (for Christians)
• Do be on time.
• Do look good and be neat.
• Do compliment.
• Do make your date comfortable.
• Do listen.
• Do talk about something you have a common interest with (for Christians, talk about the verses in the bible and ask each other’s opinions).
• Do take her to your church (for Christians).
• Do be an exciting date. Listen to your date and make sure to let your date feel that you are interested with all that he/she has to say.
• Do ask your date about her hobbies, career and future plans.
• Do be romantic.
• Do enjoy your moment together.
• Do laugh at her jokes.
• Do be yourself.
• Do avoid touching.

Don’ts

• Don’t be late.
• Don’t talk about your past relationship.
• Don’t pretend.
• Don’t ask too much questions.
• Don’t show disrespect to your date’s beliefs.
• Don’t forget to say thank you after the date.