How To Organize Safe Online Dating?

If you want to protect yourself from Identity theft, fraud and cybercrime, it makes sense to have several tricks up your sleeve. Online scammers and criminals constantly create new ways to con their victims. They target those who are searching for love and induce them to share personal information, transfer money, or record intimate videos. Even if you are a member of a reputable mail order brides platform, you will need to have a high level of caution when communicating with strangers.

Safe dating tips

These tips will help you protect yourself from being scammed and allow you to become more confident during your dating journey.

Never share your personal info on your profile or during communication.
Report and block suspicious users and fake profiles.
Use dedicated services to check whether the photo of your potential partner is real.
Upload a different profile picture than those you use on your social media pages. Thus, the scammers can’t use the image search on their behalf to access your social media accounts.
Take time to know your partner before meeting in person. Ask a lot of questions to determine whether you are talking with a real person.
Think twice before sharing intimate pictures or videos.
Initiate a video chat before the first date.
Make sure your computer is protected with a powerful antivirus to prevent access to your passwords and credit card details.
Organize your first date in a public place.
Tell your friends and relatives where you are meeting.
Always have a backup plan in case something goes wrong.

Keep in mind that if someone asks you for financial help, you are probably communicating with a scammer. No matter how long you cooperate with a user, avoid sending money under any pretext.

What to do if you become a victim?

Mail order bride sites are a favorable pool for criminals and scammers to commit fraud. As a dating site user, you should learn a safety plan to find an effective way out of any unpleasant situation.

Romance scams

If you become a victim of romance scammers, you should take the following actions:

Block and report the scam account on the dating site.
Keep copies of your communication by taking screenshots of messages.
Contact the local police.
Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission via phone hotline.

Cyberstalking

If you experience cyberstalking or abusive behavior, immediately stop communicating with a user. Tell your friends and family that you feel unsafe and look for professional advice on online safety planning services. Remember to contact the police or FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Webcam blackmail

In case you experience sextortion (webcam blackmail) when criminals access your intimate images and videos, you can do the following:

Get support. Panic won’t help you fix the situation. Instead, you should contact your local police and report the crime. It is also advisable to approach a dedicated service or helpline. The professionals will help you overcome your panic and find a way out.
Don’t pay. There are high chances that criminals will post your content even if you pay. Moreover, they can still give you further demands and continue blackmail.
Stop communicating. If you become a victim of sextortion crime groups, you will hardly reach an agreement. Moreover, their abusive behavior may get worse. That is why it is better to immediately stop communication.

Phishing

Hackers can steal your personal and billing information. That is why you will need to keep all your passwords safe. Those who experienced a phishing attack should change passwords, turn off credit/debit cards, contact the bank service and local police.

Final word

Online dating doesn’t always mean scams or cyberstalking. To have an exciting dating journey, you just need to approach a reliable platform and follow simple rules to protect your personal data. Remember your safety is important, but one bad experience doesn’t mean your future experiences will be the same.