Being Safe in Online Dating

There's a lot talked about using online communities and their potential risks to your personal information, personal finances and even personal safety. But in truth it doesn't take a lot to minimise those risks, if not eliminate them completely.
Follow these few simple check points and you'll have nothing to worry about.
Passwords
As with any login information, choose a password that you can easily remember but that would be difficult for anyone else to guess. Childrens' names are easy to remember but could be quite straightforward for someone who knows you to guess. Passwords such as "password", "123456" or "qwerty" are a definite no-no, as is your own name!

Personal information
We all want to appear open and friendly when we're meeting new people, but we should also be careful to make sure we want someone to have our information before giving it out. Single Christian Network has a wonderful Messaging system which means you don't need to give out any contact information at all until you're happy to, so don't be afraid to tell someone that you'd rather stick to the on-site system for a bit longer. If they're genuine then they won't have a problem.

Scammers
You should treat people in much the same way online as you do in the real world. If someone you barely know asks to borrow money or asks for any sort of financial details whatsoever, then alarm bells should start to ring. You wouldn't expect someone you met in the pub last week to ask for money, and you shouldn't expect it online either. If you have any such contact from another Member then you should use the "Report this profile" link to alert our team.
Personal safety
There's plenty of advice knocking around for when meeting up with someone you've met online, but the bottom line is that you should always stay in control. Meet in a public place, tell someone when and where you're going, and arrange to call them at a given time to confirm all's going well. If your date is worth their salt, they will completely understand and, rather than having a problem with your caution, will probably just be impressed at how well organised you are.
Don't panic!
When all's said and done, the vast majority of people you meet online will be genuine people just like you who are simply looking for a date and a bit of fun. Unfortunately, it's best to plan for the worst and then allow people to prove themselves otherwise, but don't let the occasional dodgy character spoil your enjoyment. Just be aware that there is the odd one out there and exercise a little caution, as you would in any other place where you're meeting new people.

Christian Singles can find lots of safety suggestions at Single Christian Network