A recent story illustrates one of the potential dangers of using online dating.
However the truth is that conmen operate in every walk of life, online and off, and vigilence is always required. It is also only a tiny minority of people who have bad experiences with dating sites, there are millions of people in the UK alone who have found true and long lasting love through an online dating service.
At OlderWiserDating.com we take our members' safety very seriously which is why we are very proactive at screening new profiles and also why we offer 7 days a week customer service. If any of our members have any issues or negative experiences we want to hear from them straight away.
Members of mature dating sites in particular need to take sensible precautions so here are our top tips for safe and happy online dating.
1. Stay in control. You don't have to meet anyone or even reply to anyone you don't want to.
2. Meet in a public place. If you do decide to meet up, arrange the first meeting in a public place - a high street bar, restautant, cafe or tea shop etc.
3. Arrange to call a friend. Make sure someone knows where you are and what you are doing. Arrange to call them or them to call you to check all is well.
4. Keep it short. There is no obligation to spend an entire day or evening with someone. Explain in advance that you are happy to meet up for a short while untill you have got to know one another.
5. Never, ever give any money away. This applies no matter how you have met someone and no matter what the story is.
Don't worry that sticking any of these rules migt put some off. A genuine and trustworthy person would never be put off by them and would completely respect your position. In fact if someone does suggest anything that make you at all nervous they are probably not the right match for you.
So keep these tips in mind but remember that these days online dating is completely normal and can be a great way to meet that special someone.
This article was originally published on http://olderwiserdating.com/blog/mature-dating-safety/