Wolfie makes up a profile in rapport with yours. Leading you on to feel there is the bud of a real romantic flower. You chat online and by phone and they are ‘all ears’ and empathy and just what you are looking for.

You agree to meet first time in nice cosy but public coffee shop. Good decision, lets not rush things. The first slight misgivings start when you have to pay the whole bill because Wolfy was in such a rush and tizzy not to be late for you, that the wallet stayed at home.  That’s understandable, cute even. Can’t wait to tell the friends about the love interest. You talk yourself into a second chance.

This time you meet at a swanky new restaurant because you both like experimental morsels on huge black plates.  You dress to impress and arrive early to find a parking place.  Good food, good wine, good chat and good god you’ve let Wolfy know your home district and they’ve seen your car.

Guess what? Wolfys’ credit card is just out of date and the replacement one isn’t validated yet. So you end up paying again. You decide to cut your losses, change your email address and kiss this waster goodbye. Wise decision, move on, who needs that.

Days later someone kicked your back door down while you’re out and helped themselves to all your hard-earned possessions. They’ve left traces and the slime leads the cops straight to Wolfy’s door. So you get your stuff back but it’s tainted somehow. Wolfy’s been arrested but you still feel foolish. OK you saw through the disguise but gave away enough clues get yourself robbed. Should you risk online dating again? Or is singles dating just as risky? Truth is that Wolfy and co are out there online and in the real world. We want to trust, we want to like but we just need to take that extra care. Don’t shoot the messenger.

Take aim at the phonies and follow these simple guidelines for safety online.

* A distinct dating email address that leaves Wolfy with no trail to follow because you drop it at the first hint of teeth.

* Agree up front to share the bills. It’s only polite and shows equal commitment. If Wolfy forgets the wallet leave him to do the washing up.

* Don’t give a false address, why should you be dishonest just because someone else may be. Best not to give any clues at all until you’re sure.

* Your car is like a second home. Don’t let first daters see it at all.

* Use only a pay as you cell phone it can’t be traced back to your billing address and you can change the number easily if you need to.

Wolfy is the exception rather than the rule. They will be prowling whether you are singles dating or online dating. So take care and enjoy your love hunt without becoming the hunted.

Give a picture of what makes you tick rather than how you are. For example say you are quiet, meditative with a love of good books rather than a conscientious, studious librarian. The bottom line has to be: Be honest and put your assets in a good light. Untruths will trip you up sooner or later. Of course if you are looking for honesty in a partner you will never find it with dishonesty.

Steer clear of the ‘come on sexy’ thing unless of course you only want one-night stands. Worthwhile relationships will be built without mentioning sex in your profile. Adult dating services are not the sites to trade bodily fluids. There are better places to find the excitement and problems that one-night stands will bring.

When describing yourself go for entertaining, and honest creative and funny. Here is a poor example. I’m sure you can do much better: I have the perfect weight for the body of six feet basketball star, but unfortunately I’m short of that by just one foot. Give free rein to your sense of humour it says more about you than all the formal descriptions. And talking of formal if you use a photo make it casual rather than studio posed.

Finally a word of caution to give only your first name and use a separate email account exclusively for dating services. Share your last name and genuine personal information when you are ready to and as sure as you can be of the integrity of your new friend.

Value yourself and others will do the same. Singles dating online will be a wonderful source of friendship and companionship at the very minimum. And there is always the chance of discovering your soul mate with the very next click of your mouse.

The dating site industry has created an effective tool of profile verification to protect all subscribers. Since some people do try to post false identities, it is the responsibility of the dating site to use internet verification tools to protect their genuine subscribers from such frauds.

The dating site assures its subscribers of the authenticity of their subscribers by conducting profile verification through the trusted tool of credit card verification. That is why it is mandatory to provide your credit card information to the dating site as proof of who you are.

Reporting Software

Fortunately, now reporting software is available to catch miscreants. Dating sites have to use these reporting systems to be one step ahead of the persons who indulge in such activities. It helps them improve their verification processes by recording all the necessary information of fraudulent behavior. Then it sends out reports to the concerned dating sites who will deal with them.

Better be Safe than Sorry

Even when you are desperate to meet someone, you must not do so at the cost of your safety. Here are a few safety tips that you need to keep in mind when you start communicating with someone on a dating site. The rule of the thumb is to take the conversation further only if you are comfortable with the person at the other end.

Always start out slow when you meet someone through online dating. Don’t get excited at the prospect of a wonderful relationship. Go slow and avoid getting hurt!

Also, don’t put all your cards on the table. In other words, don’t give out personal information to anyone until and unless you feel absolutely sure that you can trust them. You can land into serious trouble if your personal information goes into the wrong hands. In fact, that is a way of finding out whom to trust. Just stay away from those who pressure you for personal information. You may want to block them from communicating with you, and even report them to the dating service where they are listed.

The two most effective tools are: common sense and caution. Trust your gut feeling and take decisions accordingly. Avoid getting excited and impulsive.

Ask for a picture of the person you are communicating with after the initial talk. After all, you need to have a better perception of the person. It also helps you find out how sincere the person is. If the person is hesitant to give you a picture, take this as a red signal and call off. There is something fishy there.

All in all, online singles dating can lead to an interesting and satisfying experience at various levels. Just keep your head on your shoulders and be patient, cautious and wise. It takes time to build relationships. Don’t be hasty.

The online dating process

Online dating is in fact now the second most popular activity on ‘The Web’. A really interesting question is why? The contemporary world keeps everybody very busy and time saving is probably a big part of the chat room explosion. The cyber world of mating also allows many preliminaries before actual introductions. Surfers provide an individual personal life summary for inclusion in their chosen dating site files. The magic matching process then takes place. Online dating users know for sure that when they make the next step of contacting the compatible person, then they too are looking for love.There is someone for everyone but the gender ratio is rarely 1 to 1. The range on any one dating site can vary from 58 percent female to 42 percent male and all points between. The main impact of this is in the number of matches possible will vary dependant upon your own sex.

The variety in online dating

Some online dating sites are free when joining. They probably make money from the advertising to be seen there. Unfortunately because they are free some people use them for amusement. Playing at the dating game or even pretending to be someone else. For the serious love searcher the chances of wasting time on these sites is greater.

The free dating websites are unlikely to be as scrupulous in weeding out the timewasters as those that offer a more authentic service. The validation checks to identify false identities probably don’t take place with the free sites. If they don’t ask for credit card validation there is no way to be sure the user is who they say they are. Or more importantly there is no way to ensure the age restrictions are enforced. Children can play around in such sites.

The alternative online dating services are those, which take money in return for proper introductions. For serious people, searching for more meaningful relationships, it is recommended to find such a site. You will need to give your credit card information and have it validated before getting into the dating pool. You also have the reassurance of knowing that any matches that come your way have done the same.

The better online dating sites continuously review their pool of relationship seekers. The aim is to remove people who have not called on the matching process for a while. A good question to ask before committing yourself to a dating site is; how is the database updated?

THe feature of chat room

Another important consideration is whether you want an online dating site with a chat room or not. Some sites have them while others prefer to keep the introductions less random. If your pleasure is to ‘chat in type’ then be sure sign up with a site that gives this service, but take all the sensible precautions if you date a fellow ‘chatroomer’.

Then get a prepaid cell phone because it does not carry your address and name. This is important because you need to keep your home phone and actual address safe from discovery just in case things do not turn out well and you need to break off the friendship.  

It is also advisable to use only your first name in the beginning. It is prudent to keep your real information absolutely confidential till such time when you feel you can trust the person. Granted that most online dating services take effective measures of profile verification, yet it is better to be safe than sorry.

Dating Service Security

When you join a dating service, you take it for granted that they would take responsibility of their subscribers. But, unfortunately, that is not the case. Many online services do not verify profile identification of their subscribers. It boils down to the fact that you have to trust your sense of judgment while meeting someone through their sites. So, be honest in presenting your profile but do not divulge your personal information.

After you have chatted enough to feel confident of meeting the person, always meet in a public place where there people around. Only when you feel secure enough for intimacy, you should venture out into a cozy and comfortable place. This is not to discourage you from singles dating; it can be great fun online but it is best to be cautious.

Online Dating is for Anyone and Everyone

Seniors and baby boomers can participate in online dating just as other age groups do. Of course, their reasons for dating may be different from those of the younger people.

Older people usually look for company especially when they feel lonely. They don’t want lasting relationships. They have probably gone through the whole gambit of marriage and divorce, and all they want is someone to talk to for a while and then go back to their routine. Such people are by nature more cautious but they are more vulnerable too. So they must follow the general guidelines too.

Online Dating for Single Parents

As a single parent of a pre-school age child, your need for dating may be great but your options are limited by the paucity of time at your hands. Taking care of small children single-handedly is a huge responsibility that leaves very little time for your self.

However, when you check out online dating services for yourself, you will find a lot of people on the singles sites waiting to exploit your situation. So, avoid going to a regular dating service. Instead, go to a dating site for singles with children. Nonetheless, you need to be careful about the safety aspect of your personal life.

For instance, you must not divulge the information about your home and children to the people you meet online. First get to know the person well enough and feel comfortable in their company.

Writing your profile is one of the most difficult exercises you may have done in life. It entails giving a detailed description of who you are. The best way to do that is to first see yourself as you are and then see what you want to be. Somewhere in between you will find the words that will describe you aptly. But, above all, be honest otherwise you might have to face embarrassment at a later stage.

Your choice of words can make or mar your profile. The beauty of language is such that you can turn things around just by picking up the right words. For instance, even if your ultimate motive of using adult dating service is to have a physical relationship, you can put it across in a decent manner that does not offend the reader. If you are so desperate for sex, you better look for it elsewhere. Dating services are not meat markets. Also, pay attention to the format of your profile. Write five or six neat paragraphs with a catchy sentence in each one of them. Basically, your profile should look good so that the reader stops to go into the details.

The best tools to help you write a glowing description of yourself are creativity and humor. A keen sense of humor can make the worst of your shortcomings look endearing. For instance, if you are forgetful and absent-minded, you may say that you have a memory that can store anything only it needs to be reminded to do so. Humor is your best bet when it comes to approaching people. Always try to develop this art. You must post a casual picture of yourself along with your profile. A formal portrait is unnecessary and often misleading.

Remember not to provide your personal identification in your adult dating profile. It is better to write only your first name and an e mail account that you use only for online dating. You can get one of the free web accounts that can help you conceal your contact information.

Adult dating and singles dating can really be fun provided you know how to protect yourself. Who knows you might meet some good people and make some really good friends and have lasting relationships.