Safe online dating sites do exist!
Want to meet new, exciting people through Internet dating solutions? Think about your safety first. The rising popularity of online matchmaking granted users an opportunity to connect with communities of like-minded individuals all over the world. It’s certainly something our ancestors couldn’t even imagine. Today, meeting a new person is as easy as making a phone call. However, all benefits come at a particular cost. The cost of easy communication through the Internet is safety.
Safe dating has become a hot topic on the Internet, with all the famous and trustworthy dating platforms attempting to educate their audiences on how to search for friends and lovers whilst remaining safe yourself. Digital communication provided us with endless opportunities to meet people, chat with others and even conduct business online. But users need to acknowledge that real-life contact has differences from online chats, which might be not so apparent at first. This article provides an insight into safe online dating and tips on how to find soulmates without putting yourself at risk.
What are the possible dangers online daters can face
When users communicate with potential suitors through online matchmaking services, they have very limited information about the person on the other side of a mobile device. There are a few pictures on their dating profile and social media, they check in at places and post pictures with their friends occasionally. However, it is difficult to say whether this information is actually real. There are so many cases of Internet fraud and catfishing that people are unaware of. Here is where the big difference of online communication appears.
Dishonest people can come up with any sort of story, steal images of others to post and pretend it is them. This way, they can trick you into believing their story and use it to their advantage. In contrast, when you meet someone in real life, you know what they look like, you are able to collect some nonverbal cues about them that could suggest that they are up to no good. And the above example is not the only way people can put themselves at risk.
There are a lot of cases of trusting online dating users that see only the good in people. They share personal information, residential addresses and other sensitive pieces of information, which criminals might use. Once the dating solutions and social media services recognized this issue, they began to develop and introduce tips for safe online dating aimed at increasing the security of users and enhancing their experiences.
How online dating solutions approach safe dating
Contemporary dating solutions are attempting to tackle the safety issue and educate their audience on the safe online dating topic. It is vital for these services that their users feel cared for when they are communicating with their potential suitors. When it comes to romantic and friendly relationships, people need to feel free to express themselves. A constant fear of being fooled will only restrain them and therefore put an end to the whole online dating industry.
It is essential that the safety work comes from two parties – users and the dating platform itself. The best solution is to educate users whilst making sure that the platform does its job in providing extra safety. Below are the two common ways modern solutions make sure that the soulmate search process is free of fraud and catfishing.
Safe dating with verified profiles
Verifying profiles of users seems to be an obvious approach that the dating services needed to introduce. Yet, this utility appeared only once the safety issue became so prevalent and fraud cases sharply increased. Nowadays, trustworthy solutions check the profiles of users registering with them quite thoroughly. First of all, users are required to upload real images of themselves.
After that, the dating service specialist is going to review your images to see and assess whether they are real or not. In case a user gets reported as a catfish or a specialist sees any suspicious images, they are going to block a profile. In order to prove that you are a real person, they are going to ask to provide additional images. Some solutions go the extra mile and ask for ID confirmation.
While ID confirmation might put off some users and be perceived negatively, the image verification feature can surely add more security and facilitate safe, care-free communication, which is what online daters are looking for. Therefore, a safe dating site will always check the profiles of its users. Please stick to the solutions that do their side of the job!
Good dating apps provide tips for safe dating
Once the matchmaking solutions realized that their users lack knowledge about safe communication online, they began introducing articles, guidelines and even online webinars, where specialists go through all aspects that require protection. Here is when users need to watch out for their safety and make sure they stay cautious when talking to strangers online. It is vital that anyone who is registered on dating apps has read these tips and guidelines because this way, they are going to know how to spot suspicious behaviour and what to do about it.
These pieces of advice also cover behaviour of singletons when they go on physical dates and see their potential suitors in person for the first time. For instance, it is highly advisable not to meet new people in isolated places. Do not accept invitations from online dating profiles that ask you to come to their homes or meet at parks during weird hours. Make sure to have your first date somewhere crowded. This way, you would be able to ask for help if you date goes ridiculously wrong. Only by staying aware and cautious you can have safe dating, which is going to help you find the right person and bring happiness to your life.
Report inappropriate behaviour
Dating services provide access to a community of like-minded people. A healthy and mindful community would do everything it needs to protect its members. Despite the fact that there are fraudulent people online, the majority of Internet users, especially people that search for friends online, are honest and aware. It is a common practice to report any suspicious behaviour. This way, users can not only protect themselves online but also warn others about the dishonest user.
Contemporary dating solutions take user complaints very seriously. They review each case. Do not be surprised to receive a phone call from a matchmaking service and answer questions about what happened. It is going to provide clarity for them and ensure that users will never experience any sort of negative experience in the future. There are even different divisions within dating apps that deal with various cases: some would investigate fraudulent activities of people forcing users to expose sensitive information, others deal with profiles that pretend to be someone else.
How to check the safety of a dating website
If you are looking to find genuine connections and meet new exciting people, make it your priority to check whether the dating solution you are registering with is one of the safe dating online sites. First of all, a secure matchmaking solution would provide all of the above aspects: tips for safe online dating, verified profiles and the option to report any suspicious behaviour of users. When the service actually takes care of their online community of daters, they are going to make sure that the digital environment they create is free of dishonest people and fraud.
Another great approach you could undertake to assess the security of a dating app is by reading what people say about it online. Read user reviews on the Internet, browse through forums to see whether there are complaints about a service you are about to use. Online communities tend to be discreet about their experiences with services; therefore, they would honestly describe their experience when using these solutions. Keep thinking positively. Not everyone online has intentions of hurting you. Simply staying cautious and aware is already a great part of achieving personal safety.
Do not share information that might compromise you and your loved ones. There are a lot of free and safe for dating sites out there. So, read what others say about a platform, and if the majority of opinions are positive, get yourself a profile there without a doubt. Do not miss the chance of finding the love of your life by being too afraid! Follow through the tips and guidelines, watch out for suspicious behaviour and report dishonest profiles to ensure safety for the whole community. Safe online dating is possible when everyone is watching out for each other.