It’s not uncommon anymore to meet your partner online. In fact, most young adults are now using dating apps and sites almost exclusively. It’s an easy and convenient way to meet people of similar interests across the country or even internationally, if you choose so.
However, online dating doesn’t come without its downsides – the major being safety concerns. Women, in particular, need to be aware of the potential dangers and how to avoid them.
Vet Before You Meet
One of the biggest issues with online dating is that you never know who you’re actually talking to. There are many malicious people out there using fake or stolen photos to catfish women. While you don’t have to be suspicious of every single person you talk to, there are a few simple habits that will give you peace of mind before taking things any further.
First of all, always look up the person’s presence online. Do their social media pages look legitimate, with interactions from friends and family? Try reverse-image-searching their profile picture to see if it matches the name they claim on the dating site. This will only take a few minutes, but it can bring up red flags immediately, after the very first few messages.
Additionally, make sure to always have a video call before agreeing to meet in person. Keep in mind that images and videos can now be easily manipulated with AI tools, so a real-time conversation is the best way to confirm the person is who they really say they are.
Stay Diligent With Your Personal Data
Financial scams are a common safety risk in online dating. According to the FTC data, people have lost a staggering $1.3 billion to romance scams in 2022, and that’s only the reported incidents. By far the most frequent lies scammers use to get money out of those looking for love are pretending to be in need of hospital treatment, in jail or otherwise in urgent need of financial support.
It’s not just financial data either. Women are regularly dealing with online harassment, which often comes from someone who kept contacting them even after they made it clear they weren’t interested. To avoid this, it’s best to keep personal information like your address, workplace and phone number to yourself, until you can truly trust someone. At the very early stages, keep the conversations in sites and apps where you can easily block anyone you don’t wish to talk to.
Use Verified, Community-Specific Platforms
Generic dating apps are optimised for volume, not safety, which is exactly why scams and harassment tend thrive there. More and more women are looking for online dating spaces where they can explore their interests without judgment and with real safety guarantees. For instance, platforms built around specific communities, such as Fetish, focusing on verified profiles, active moderation and privacy tools that give users full control over their information.
Create Ground Rules for the First Date
Once you are ready to meet someone in the real world, it’s best to have a few ground rules in place as a precaution. For example, you may only feel comfortable meeting in a public place, like a restaurant or cafe, and perhaps you do not wish to go to their place on the first date. These are perfectly normal and understandable requests, which your date should have absolutely no problem with.
Moreover, it’s always a good idea to let a friend or a family member know where you are and when to expect a check-in text. Even better, share your live location for the evening if your phone allows it. It costs nothing, but it will help put your mind at ease.
Safety Always Comes First
It’s certainly unfortunate that women have to take all of these precautions to feel safe, while all they really want is to find love. Despite it, you can still meet great people and have heaps of fun!
