Identity theft is a growing problem, one that can literally wreak havoc on your life if your identity is ever compromised. There is plenty of information out there about how to protect your identity during normal everyday life activities, but one area that is overlooked by many people is protecting their identity while dating online.

Now, you might not think about this right away but consider this: when you’re getting to know someone as part of a dating relationship a normal and natural part of the process is sharing information and getting to know each other. This makes online dating a virtual smorgasbord of opportunity for scammers and others seeking to gain information about you for the sole purpose of taking over your identity for illegal purposes.

If you want to protect your identity from theft and scammers online, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Do not give out information such as your mother’s maiden name, your home address, your birth city, or the like.
• Be extremely cautious of anyone who wants to send you gifts such as flowers, candy, etc., early on in the relationship; they may be trying to get your address information in order to go after your identity.
• Never send anyone money, give them your credit card number, or otherwise provide any financial information to them. NEVER!

As if dating weren’t challenging enough, worrying about the potential for identity theft while dating online is kind of a pain. But it is important, though, to follow these simple steps to protect yourself if you want to avoid the hassles and even greater pain that goes along with having your identity stolen or compromised.

Safety Identity, Online Safety, Scams, Theft

You’ve got to love technology! Add to the hundreds and hundreds of useful (and sometimes not so useful) applications for your iPhone a brand new one that lets you do a fast background check on someone with just a few clicks. Called DateCheck, this ingenious little piece of software lets you put in a person’s name, phone number, or email address, and it will search a variety of web resources to quickly give you a snapshot of the person’s background and life.

DateCheck does this by using the information you plug into it to conduct a web search of multiple sources such as social networking sites, public records, and the like. And boy, does it ever come back with plenty of information! From criminal records to property assets to allowing you to submit ratings for a particular person, DateCheck makes it easy to, well, check someone out.

I really like the way DateCheck categorizes the information it finds, too. The first category is the Sleaze Detector, which is where you will find information about DUIs, sexual offenses, or other criminal issues. Next up is Compatibility, matching their zodiac sign to yours (okay, this one is not very scientific), followed by Net Worth, Living Situation, and Interests. It’s so effective at checking out these categories that if a person owns a home, for instance, you stand a decent chance of being able to tell its number of bedrooms and square footage.

Unfortunately, DateCheck is only available for the iPhone right now, so if you have another kind of mobile phone you’re out of luck. But look on the bright side – if you’ve been looking for an excuse to buy an iPhone this neat little application might just be the reason you need!

Dating Essentials Background Checks, Crime, iPhone, Mobile, Online Safety

When you’re browsing through love profiles online, you might be blinded by the love. You might find that all of your potential love interests seem to be into you, so you’re willing to do anything – even catch and pass on a dangerous love bug.

A computer virus.

Just like other more intimate moments, you need to make sure you’re protecting yourself and others from viruses that plague the online dating world. Even if you’re certain your computer is clean, another person’s computer may not.

And not everyone is exactly what they seem to be.

First of all, never, ever click on any links in emails from others you don’t really know. These can be routes into your computer for phishing attacks and hackers. Yes, this means you even need to avoid those cute-sy e-cards that everyone is sending. They can be virus-toting time bombs.

It’s also a good idea to avoid giving out your personal information to anyone – especially password information. While this should be common sense, you need to realize that hackers know how vulnerable you might be as a struggling single.

But you need to make sure they don’t get what they want – your money and your data.

To further protect yourself, make sure your email address for your online dating account isn’t your ‘real’ email address. Sign up for a free account with Hotmail, for example, to keep your life and your dating separate. This will only hinder cyber attacks more.

You can be safe and clean from this modern love bug. And don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Safety Cyber Attacks, Disease, Identity, Love, Money, Online Safety, Profile, Virus