Let’s face it, online dating is a hot bed of lies. Everyone does it, it seems, whether it is small little lies (fudging on your weight, shaving a year or two off your real age) or great big whoppers (you’re married? Really?) of all kinds.

But even though we all know just about every online dating profile contains at least one lie or half-truth, how good are we at spotting that little lie? It turns out there is research out there that reveals the most common areas in which people lie, and not surprisingly there are some differences between what men lie about and what women lie about.

Men, it turns out, are most likely to lie about their income and their height. I suppose this isn’t too surprising, given how many women talk about looking for that “tall, handsome, wealthy guy” as their ideal dating partner. And if you have any doubts about whether this is true, the next time you’re online at a dating site take note of how many men claim to be at least six feet tall and have incomes of over $85,000 per year.

As for women, they too have weak areas when it comes to lying in their online profiles. The most common lies told by women are their weight and their physical build – surprise!

At least there is one area of common ground when it comes to not quite telling the truth in an online profile. Both women and men are just as likely to lie about their age, especially those who are over the age of 40. These are the people who are most likely to list themselves as in their mid to late thirties.

Don’t say you haven’t been warned!

Personal Profiles Height, Income, Lies, Profile, Weight

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

Even though you might be single now, that doesn’t mean you have to be alone in your hunt for someone to date. The truth is that you need a sort of wingman (or wing-woman) to help you navigate the online dating scene, while you also need a dating buddy to commiserate with as you jump into the dating pool.

There are a few things you should look for in your dating buddy:

• Someone who is looking for love too
• Someone who has been successful on the site you’re using
• Someone who is positive
• Someone who will motivate you to take chances

You want someone to make sure you are buddy-ing up with someone who will push you to try things that you normally wouldn’t. That is, if you get rejected on the site by someone, your buddy is the one that tells you to try again anyway – not to give up.

You also want someone who is going to be completely honest with you when you need that dose of reality. If your profile needs work or you simply need to take more chances winking at people or emailing those that you like, your buddy should be telling you so.

Together, you just might find love and then you won’t need a dating buddy anymore – but you can then start being each other’s relationship buddy.

Personal Profiles, Rejection, Self Confidence Alone, Buddy, Friends, Lonely, Profile