A Good Profile is the Key to a Good Internet Dating Experience
I began to research internet dating. I cannot tell you how many men and women have had horror stories about their internet dating experiences. Some said that the person they were chatting with was not the person that they had viewed on the dating website. They said that the pictures were not the same person. One lady told me that the man on the website looked like a real “hunk.” But when she met him in person, the man was about 30 years older and about 200 pounds heavier. I also met a woman who began to date the man she met online. She later found out he was married and had 6 kids. She was devastated and felt betrayed. After doing some research online, I learned about many people (mostly men) that were scammed out of money by the person that they were chatting with. I could probably go on forever, but I think it is best to that I tell people how to avoid and spot scams, and some general tips for internet dating websites.
First, I will begin with recognizing dating scams. The worst kind is the ones that involve money. There are a lot of dating scams that are often run by more than one person. Often times, the person you are chatting with are not even the person in featured on the dating website. Many also occur from abroad. In fact, Russia is well known for it. In reality, however, it can happen anywhere.
Dating scams usually begin simple email chat. This then leads to an internet relationship. Soon the people behind the dating scams start to ask for money. They do this in a very convincing manner, usually based on some sort of tragedy. Some say that they need money for an illness or for a death in the family. Sometimes they just say they need the money to come visit you. Then once you send them the money, they ask for more. An excuse is always present. Some new problem arose and they are in need of more. They will tell you they love you and you then fall into their trap and you then send more. More and more excuses are made as to why you never meet your lover and why they need more money from you. It is all just empty promises. Once these scammers don’t see the money coming in any more, they break all contact with you.
Well, now you should have an idea of how to spot a scam. So how do you attract the right person? You need to create your profile on the dating website… and it needs to be an honest and truthful profile. If you are dishonest in any way, you are just as bad as all of those scammers I just mentioned. If you don’t want to be lied to, don’t lie about yourself when creating your profile. List your correct age, height, weight, etc. Be sure to include current and recent photographs. (Photographs will give you a 50 percent increase in responses). Next, be 100 percent truthful about what you would like to gain from the internet dating. If you are looking for a long term relationship or marriage then make sure to say so. If you are just looking for a fling, make sure that you mention this. You want to attract someone that has the same interests and needs as you. It is a big waste of time to lie or try to sell yourself as something you are not. Also, include your likes, dislikes, attractions, turn offs, children (if you have any), expectations, etc. Lastly, do not use any profanity or sexual content in your profile. This tends to be a turn off for many people.
Now I shall move on to some general tips that can make your internet dating experience go more smoothly, along with tips with your safety in mind.
1. You can remain anonymous. No internet dating website requires your name, address, phone number or email address to be available to anyone. You decide who gets this information and when you want to make it available to them. Your anonymity protects you from people that you may not feel right about once you start chatting with them online. If you decide you want to break contact with them, many of the dating websites allow you to block a person from contacting you. This is always available so long as you remain anonymous and only contact people through the dating website. Once you give out your personal information, this will change.
2. Always exercise caution. If you do not feel right about someone, then do not continue to speak with them. Just use some common sense. If the person seems to tell you things that seem inconsistent (basically saying that the person is lying to you), then break contact. Ask for lots of photographs and ask lots of questions. If the person avoids answering your questions, then there is something they wish to hide, thus a potentially bad person to chat with. If they are easily angered then this person should be avoided as well.
3. Some people you should avoid no matter what. First off, if they admit to still being married, then you should not talk to this person. What makes you think that they will be committed to you if they are not even committed to the person they are married to? Let alone, why are they on the website to begin with if they are still married? There is no legitimate excuse for this. Second, if any of these people admits to being a cheater, then what makes you think they will not cheat on you? People do not change. Don’t let your heart get broken by them. Lastly, if any of these people ever ask for money, immediately break contact with them. These people don’t really know you and you don’t know them. There is no reason for you to give them any of your hard earned cash…no matter how much they sweet talk you.
4. Go at your own pace. You can chat on the dating website for as long as you wish. When you feel comfortable, then you can move on to your own email addresses or through instant message. Don’t start chatting on the phone until you are absolutely comfortable with this person. The last step is to meet the person face to face. But again you do not need to do this until you are comfortable. When you do decide to meet for the first time, do so in a public place. This way you are better protected and you can get a feel for the person and who they really are. Never meet for the first time at your house or theirs.
Hopefully all of this information helped you. I must say that my internet dating experience has not gone so well. This is mostly because the people that I chatted with were not the people that they made themselves appear to be. But since I was careful, I did not end up with a broken heart or in a dangerous situation. If you plan on meeting the love of your life on an internet dating website, be sure to take your time and follow all of these tips.
