DatingOnline.com.au - Dating Online Safety

Dating Online is here to make your experience as safe and secure as possible, but you should still exercise caution. Let trust develop over time and don't let anyone rush you. As in real life, trust your own instincts if someone seems pushy, inconsistent or dishonest, they probably are. Some useful guidelines are:

Never include personal information such as your surname, phone number, email address or street address in your personal profile, and don't give them out too early when communicating with someone. Take your time and only give out this information when you are ready. An authentic person who is interested in you will be happy to wait.

Ask a lot of questions. Don't spend your time trying to catch people out, but if you notice inconsistencies in their stories, alarm bells should go off.

If a member puts pressure on you to reveal information, if they won't accept that you are not interested, or if they act in a way that causes you concern, you may alert us to any members behaving unusually by emailing us. Don't feel uncomfortable about it you could save someone else from experiencing the same thing.

It is not acceptable for someone to ask you for money or to direct you to their commercial website. If this happens, please email us.

If someone asks you to call them on a number with an unusual area code, it may be a commercial number that will charge you at a high per-minute rate. If you are unsure, check your telephone directory.

If you choose to communicate with a member from your own email account, we recommend that you set up an email address specifically for online dating. Make sure the name displayed is one that you are comfortable with being public (if you are unsure, send an email to yourself and check the name that comes up).

When you do decide to meet someone for a date, make it only an hour or two, meet in a public place and make sure you have your own transport there and home. Let a friend know where you are going, with whom (give as much detail as you can) and what time you expect to get home (and make sure you call when you get home). You could even get your friend to call your mobile during the date to check up on you.

Don't forget that it is you that is in control of your experience, both online and if you meet in real life. Make responsible decisions and be careful, but don't forget to have fun!