Online dating is a way of life for many people today, especially with the COVID19 crisis making it harder than ever to meet new people in person. However, online dating does not come without its own set of risks, and if you have met somebody that you get on with well online and can’t wait to go for a socially distanced date with in-person, it’s a good idea to take a step back from the excitement to make sure that you are doing everything that you can to protect yourself. Here are a few steps to take.
1. Keep Personal Information Private:
Many people today are afraid that someone will invade their privacy and find out more about them. That is why everyone strives to keep their personal information about themselves. In order to share some personal information, they first want to get to know the person to whom they would say something about themselves, and then to share something that they consider personal. That is why it is necessary to be careful when with whom and where personal things and personal information are shared because it is not safe at all to say and share such information because there is a high possibility that they will be misused.
Most people don’t consider there to be anything risky about handing over their phone number after a successful chat with an online match, however, the truth is that your number could be used to find out more private information on you than you are prepared to give to somebody that you don’t really know. Instead, insist on continuing to talk using the chat function in the dating app – how your match responds to this request will give you some serious signs of just how respectful of you and your boundaries they actually are.
2. Video Call First:
Many times people find themselves in a situation where they want to download a dating application or want to join one of the dating portals. They do this – they create an account, enter data (which is often incomplete from a security point of view) and then go in search. Once logged in, the search begins. Many people in the first 10 minutes find someone they like through a conversation but do not know what they look like, and still want to go on a date. What should you do? From a security point of view, the first thing you need to do is ask for his picture or move on to the next security check, which is better – a video call.
You can easily use video calling services like Zoom or Skype without providing any personal information, and this gives you a chance to speak to your date in-person without actually meeting up and putting yourself at risk.
People can often give off very different vibes when you’re speaking to them face-to-face rather than over messages and a video call could be all you need to save you from a boring date or worse. Thanks to COVID19, asking for a video date is now pretty socially acceptable and easy to do no matter what online dating platform you’re using.
3. Run a Background Check:
It is not at all easy to decide to meet someone in a virtual way. This is especially not easy today when there are a huge number of fake profiles that can not be trusted. But what to do, such is the time. We live in a time when it is not particularly safe to meet new people because of the pandemic. That’s why it’s good to go online by correspondence, and then arrange a date. Before the date, it is very important to make a small analysis and check. Perform a security analysis and check on the person with whom you want to arrange to go on a date for your personal safety. Although it sounds impossible, it is still possible, but also very useful.
You’ve just met somebody that you really like online and you’ve been messaging them for days, so the idea of conducting a background check on them probably hasn’t crossed your mind. However, even the most dangerous of people can seem amazing when you’re chatting with them online, so for your peace of mind, it is worth doing some digging. If you have their full name, phone number or email address, you can use Nuwber to do a background check on them and ensure that they are not hiding anything like a serious criminal record in their past. You can also search their name on the sex offender’s register to make sure that it doesn’t appear.
4. Reverse Image Search:
Catfishing can sometimes be funny and relatively harmless instances of people using images that look nothing like them, but it is often used to conceal somebody’s true identity and fool their date into thinking that they are talking to somebody else. For example, somebody who has convictions for sex offenses or domestic violence might avoid using their real name or photo when online dating to avoid being recognized. A reverse image search of the photos that they use on their profile is a good way to ensure that they are legitimate.
5. Meet in Public:
The most common problem before going on a date is the place where you will wait for the person you will meet or the place where you will meet him. There is often a discussion about whether the acquaintance should be at home or somewhere in a public place where there are more people. From an intimate point of view, homes are great for sharing more things, but they are also more intimate places. But still, public places and areas are much better.
Finally, once you’ve decided you’ve got enough information to go ahead with your planned date, always meet in a public place and tell somebody where you are going, plus how long you expect to be there. It’s wise to make your own way there rather than accepting a lift so that your date doesn’t have your address if things go wrong.
