Guidelines to Online Dating Safety

These are a few basic guidelines that will help you to avoid any problems or uncomfortable situations. Please read them thoroughly.

Keep your anonymity.
TAKE YOUR TIME, and ask lots of questions. Don't give out any personal information, including your email address. Use your Eurodatelink private mail first, which allows you to send and receive mail without using your real address. Get a good idea of what a person may be like before you give them your email address. You can set up free email accounts through services such as Yahoo, Juno, Hotmail, and others. Never give out your last name, home address, phone number, work information, or any other identifying information in your profile or initial emails. Don't communicate with anyone who attempts to pressure you into giving this information. Simply ignore them.

Use common sense and be cautious.
Don't believe everything you read or are told, whether it is on a profile, in a Eurodatelink private mail, on the message boards, or in the chat room. Watch out for people who are simply too good to be true. Watch closely for strange behavior, the person may not be what he or she says. Trust yourself and your gut! You're responsible to take all the time you need to make sure a person is honest and trustworthy. If your gut tells you that someone is lying, they very likely are. Don’t get hurt by becoming prematurely intimate with someone. Don't be in a rush to find love, it will happen when it happens.

Ask for several photos.
A photo will verify a person's profile information and give you a good idea of appearance. Requesting several photos will make it more difficult for someone to send fakes. If you keep getting excuses, it is probable that he or she is trying to hide something.

Use the telephone, a pay phone first to be safe!
At the right time, a phone call will tell you many things about a persons ability to communicate. Keep your number anonymous if possible, and use the conversation to find out more about the person to make sure you want to meet. Also call a coworker, a friend, or a family member. The type of people someone associates with says a lot about their personality, so keep that in mind. The more people you talk to, the safer and more sure you will be. Only share your phone number when you feel absolutely sure about trusting the person. If you are being pressured to meet, ask to speak to the persons mother first.

Meet only when you are completely sure its ok.
Many times we are excited to meet someone new and it can make us impatient.........Be Patient! One of the wonderful things about meeting somebody online is that you can gain so much information about a person before you feel you need to meet. You have NO obligation to meet anyone, ever. Stay away from the people that make you uncomfortable.

Warning signs.
Behavior such as anger, demeaning or disrespectful comments, physically inappropriate comments and behavior, intense frustration or attempts at pressuring or controlling you are obvious warning signs. Stay away from people like this, just ignore them. Below are a few more things to watch for:

1. Information about age, interests, appearance, marital status, profession, employment, and other information is inconsistent.
2. Will not speak to you on the phone after establishing an ongoing relationship.
3. Dodges and will not directly answer questions.
4. In person is quite different from his or her online profile.
5. Will not introduce you to friends, professional associates or family members.
Remember: you are in control. No one should ever pressure you into revealing anything about yourself that you want to keep private. Anyone who does, is not respecting your boundaries, and is probably not worth contacting further.

Meeting the first time, never go alone.
Take a friend, always! Choose the safest possible environment. A very public restaurant with lots of people is a good place to start. Even if you think you know every detail about a person and you trust them implicitly, meet in public where many people are around. Also, tell someone where you are going and when you will be back. Give your date's name and telephone number or any other information to that person. Use your own transportation to get to and from the date. Go somewhere very familiar to you. Be brief, one or two hours is plenty. There is no need for a 5-10 hour date! You will have plenty of time for that later. If your date disagrees with this guideline or any of the guidelines listed here, you shouldn't meet that person.

Traveling far to meet someone.
Use your own transportation always!! Don't allow your date to make the arrangements. If the location where you are meeting seems unsafe, awkward, or inappropriate - go back to your hotel. And of course, make sure a friend or family member knows your plans and has your contact information. Take a cell phone with you if you can.

How to get out of a jam.
Just leave. Its always better to be safe than sorry. Your safety is obviously more important than worrying about embarrassment, your behavior, or what another person may think of you. Just leave.

We want this to be a great experience for you. These guidelines can help you to have a safe and pleasant online dating experience.