When you’re looking for your Romeo or your Juliet, online dating can be a great starting point. But once you’ve met the ‘perfect’ one for you, does this mean that you need to start paying them too?

Just like any online site, trusting in someone else’s identity online can be a tricky thing. Since you really can’t verify that ‘Romeo’ is who he says he is or that ‘Juliet’ really does live where she says she does, online dating sites have become the next place that con artists are popping up. By pulling you in with promises and proclamations of love, you can begin to feel that you have found your perfect mate…and then they want you to wire money to them.

Here’s the thing, yes there are situations in which this person may very well need the money they’re asking for. They might also really want you to help them out, but when it comes to sending a lot of money to someone you don’t know, you are probably just being duped into the latest scam. Though it may not be as obvious as the Nigerian scam, you need to be suspicious of anyone asking you for money.

You also want to be on the lookout for anyone that wants you to cash any checks, hold any goods, etc. While you might really trust the other person, you may also become an unwitting member of a crime – and that’s not what love is for.

If you begin to feel that the person you’re talking to may be a scam artist, let your online dating website know so they can take action. If you still have concerns, you can alway choose one of the dating services that pre-screen members which ensures that they are who they say they are. Take a look at True.com or GE-Dating.com for examples of such sites.

Diary Background Checks, Scams, Trust

We all want to be happy when it comes to our love life, but does that mean that we’re also becoming more paranoid? Through the invention of the internet, not only can we find out information about nearly any topic, but we can also find out about people that we’d like to date. This method is not foolproof, however, so here are some tips to make it “googling” work for you:

Realize that not everything you find may be true – Since there’s a pretty good chance your perspective date might share the same name as someone else, the information you find may not be accurate; either in a good way or in a bad way.

Keep what you find out to yourself – Showing up to a date with a file folder of the information you find out is not going to make the best first impression. Instead, keep your findings to yourself until they are revealed naturally.

Google.com can’t tell you everything – Even though it is a powerhouse of information, googling a date will only tell you the superficial details of their life. Unfortunately, Google isn’t able to tell you if someone is going to be the perfect match for you.

At least, not yet.

Tips and Ideas Background Checks, First Impressions, Love, Scams, Trust

Just as when you used to go out on dates in your teen years, there is a question of whether or not you need a ‘chaperone’ to help you as you enter the online dating world. Recent legislation is trying to control the dating site’s responsibility to let their users know that background screenings and other security measures may not be effective in all cases.

The plus side of this bill is that it might cause online daters to be more aware of their behaviors in terms of talking with strangers on the site. If you were to be told that people on the site might be lying to you, perhaps it would be more effective than having to remember that fact yourself.

On the other hand, knowing that the site isn’t necessarily doing the background checks that they claim to do can also be bad for their business. Sites might not make this information readily available to new and old users, causing the legislation to be useless in terms of its initial intentions.

The question of personal responsibility has come up many times in relation to conversing with others on the ‘net. Do you always trust what you hear and see or do you become skeptical of everything? It’s a tricky discussion with clear sides and yet no real answers.

Perhaps the only solution is to create rules for yourself when you’re entering the dating world. By taking the time to get to know a person before actually meeting them or sharing your personal information, you can save yourself a lot of trouble.

And not require the help of the government to get a ‘real’ date.

News & Views Background Checks, Fake, Legislation, Online Safety, Scams, Screening, Trust