How to Stay Safe When Online Dating After a Nasty Divorce

Going through a nasty divorce can take its toll on your mental and physical health. As human beings, we all want to be loved by another, so if you’ve taken the plunge to put yourself back out there and use online dating, it’s important that you how to stay safe when chatting to potential love interests.

While there are many benefits that go hand in hand with online dating, unfortunately, there is a dark side that you need to be aware of. No matter what dating app tickles your fancy, here are a few tips on how to stay safe when online dating.

Date When You’re Ready

When dealing with the aftermath of a nasty divorce, many people try and take their minds off things by heading straight back into dating. While this method may work for some, it’s best to only date when you’re ready. Unfortunately, there are many scammers out there who prey on the vulnerable, so when using online dating platforms, the last thing you want is to be a prime target for them. Being emotionally fragile after a nasty divorce is perfectly normal and acceptable, however, it does make a scammer’s job much easier. 

Be Wary of Profile Photos

While we shouldn’t always assume the worst, when engaging with someone online, the first telltale sign of a scammer is their profile picture. In many cases, scammers are individuals who are outside your country who go to great lengths to hide that. To ensure you’re speaking to the person who is in the photo, make sure to examine their pictures and check whether they have any watermarks or if they appear pixelated.  

Don’t Give Out Personal Information

Once the conversation has started rolling, many of us think with our hearts rather than our head. If you’ve been asked for personal information such as your full name, phone number, or address, it’s strongly advised not to hand them out. If you’re the type of person who tries to see the best in everyone, you may be more inclined to spill your heart out, however, this could do more harm than good in the long run. Asking for personal information and data from the offset is suspicious, so if you feel uneasy at any point during a conversation, it’s best to block the user and move on.

Verify the User

To put your mind at ease when online dating, there are numerous measures that you can take to ensure the person you’re speaking to is the real deal. Whether it’s by conducting an initial Google search on their username, performing an image search, or even ordering a background check, your safety and security should be your number one priority. Even if they are who they say they are, they could have skeletons in the closet that could put your safety at risk, so checking into offender records may be the best route to take. The site publicrecordsreviews.com can give you access to offender records and other information about a person who you have met online. 

Be Smart

If you’ve taken the next step and shared social media handles with a love interest, there are tell-tale signs that you need to be on the lookout for. Fake Facebook accounts tend to have extremely low friend counts, as well as photos with no tags in them. To make sure the person you’re talking to isn’t a catfish, examining their social media profiles should give you a better indication of whether they are who they say they are.

Tell Your Friends and Family

If you’ve become infatuated with someone you’re speaking to online, it can be all too easy to get lured in and not think with your head. While you may be in the midst of looking through rose-tinted glasses, your family and friends will have a more realistic mindset, so if you have any concerns about who is on the other side of the screen, your loved ones can act as a second opinion and reduce the risk of you being deceived. 

Meet as Soon as Possible

If you’re ready to take your conversation one step further, meeting as soon as possible is advised. While you may be hesitant to go on your first date after a divorce, meeting in person will officially confirm that the person you’ve been speaking to is legit. If the person who you are speaking to is hesitant to meet up and begins making excuses, something sketchy may be going on. 

Going back on the dating scene after a painful divorce can be overwhelming and daunting at first, however, it’s important that you understand the benefits that you can gain from online dating. While there are people out there who use such platforms for bad intentions, the vast majority of users are on online dating platforms to find love. To keep yourself protected online, be sure to use all the tips listed above.