“Is online dating safety really
that big a deal?”

Is your safety important to you? The Internet can be a big scary place unless you take some simple steps to practice online dating safety.

When it comes right down to it, you are putting your life out there for the whole world to see. Some great guy is out there looking for you right now. Unfortunately, there are a few scumbags out there snooping around too.

But it’s not as scary as it sounds.

As long as you tell people about yourself in a way that protects your privacy. The very first step in achieving this goal is to get a new email account. Never use your personal or business email account for any online dating! Not only can you get your email account on spamming lists, Internet savvy people can "Googlestalk" you, finding out all about you.

This might not sound like a big deal, but at best (if you post online a lot), a guy can find out what you like and dislike and work that into the conversation. He’ll seem like the perfect guy because he knows all about the things you love. Actually he’s cheating. At worst, after a bad date, the guy could show up at your work (if you use your work email) and ask for a second chance.

So your very first step one is to get a free email account. They’re pretty much all the same, so click on one of the links below and set up your account.

Now you have your relatively anonymous method of communication. You are ready to conquer the world of Internet online dating!

Let’s move on to online dating safety tips for your profile and what you let the world know about you. The most important thing to keep in mind is to avoid giving away any information that allows people to “find” you. Instead of saying you work in a grocery store, say you work in “sales” or “retail.” Don’t tell them what neighborhood you live in. You shouldn’t even talk about your favorite places to hang out.

It would suck to have to stop going to your favorite bar or restaurant because some creepy dude knows you always go there.

Don’t give out your phone number to anyone until they have charmed you enough by email. Think of it this way: texting and calling costs you money. As much as you don’t want losers to have your phone number, you don’t want to pay the extra bill when they call you all the time.

Our biggest goal here is to be found when we are ready to be found and by the right guy. Are you ready for the in-person meet and greet? Read more about first dates.

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