It is perfectly fine to reveal your first name in the early stages of your correspondence with an internet stranger. Beyond that, however, please use caution. Think to yourself, is it prudent to tell someone who you don't know from Adam (or Eve!) your last name, your home address, your work address or your telephone number? (The correct answer is NO). Until you feel extremely comfortable with the other person, it is best to use the nick name designed for that purpose.

Honesty is still the best policy. Let's face it, when you are typing away from a distance, it is easy to mislead (that's a euphemism, we really mean LIE!) about yourself. Honesty breeds honesty. Stick to the truth and, chances are, the other person will follow suit.

Have you ever spoken to a business contact on the phone - and then when you met them, they looked entirely different from the way you had pictured? Exchanging a current photo (not the one taken at the beach 20 years ago when you were young, skinny and cute!) is a good way to determine whether you are attracted to the other person. But it is a good safety measure too.

It is not a smart idea to be alone with someone you have just met. When arranging your first (or even second or third) meeting with a person, make it clear that you intend to meet in a public place and arrange all transportation on your own. It is also wise to advise a friend or relative where you will be. Do not let anyone pressure you into doing anything you are not comfortable doing. Error on the side of caution and all will be well!

Getting started

Our site allows you to remain anonymous to other users until you feel ready to provide contact information to other users.
Never include your personal contact information in your profile, especially telephone numbers, email, home address or your last name. We have a separate optional form to add this information to make it viewable to specified users.
Only provide your contact info to another user when your instincts tell you this is someone you can trust.
Set up an email account just for online dating usage. This makes it easy to quarantine any unwanted mail.
Keep your passwords confidential and make sure they are not easy to guess.

Before you meet

Find out as much as possible about the person you are communicating with before you meet them in person. Communicate extensively using email, instant messaging or chat prior to calling the other person. Do not disclose your phone number or personal contact information until you feel comfortable to do so.
Try to request multiple photos of the person you are communicating with. Ask to see photos of the person in a variety of situations at different times in their life. This helps to 'paint a picture' of the person and can be useful to understand more about that person.
When you do decide to meet face to face, pick a public place and tell a friend where you're going. Let them know when you return from the date.

While dating

Take your time to get the know the person. Proceed one step at a time and at your own pace.
If dating a person located in a foreign country be aware of cultural differences and take the time to learn the culture and understand the other persons expectations about the relationship. Spend as much time together as is possible getting to know the person, don't just rely on email and instant messaging.
Investing additional time to get to know the person before things get serious will help you to avoid costly mistakes.

Before you become engaged

Each year hundreds of people on our web sites meet their spouse and live a happy, loving life together. Before you get engaged, take the time to consider what could go wrong and know your rights.
Getting married is one of the most important decisions in your life and not something that should be rushed.
Make sure that you know as much as possible about your partner before getting engaged.
Get to know your partner's friends and family, in some countries when you marry someone you also "marry" their family.
If you are getting engaged to someone from another country then you should take additional steps to familiarize yourself with your rights regarding domestic violence, abuse and divorce in your partners country. Many countries including the USA, Australia etc have laws that protect the visa status of foreign women who are unfortunate to marry or become engaged to an abusive or violent partner. This means that you can usually seek help for problems related to domestic violence while maintaining your legal right to remain in the country.
In the event of divorce courts in many countries such as the USA, UK, Australia etc will consider the equitable distribution of all marital assets based on a variety of factors. You should therefore consider how you may be affected in the event of
divorce.

Avoiding problems

Ask a lot of questions when communicating and be alert for inconsistencies or requests for money. Make notes if you are suspicious of anything.
If you are suspicious of a person or if someone asks you for money, use common sense and then report the situation to us by using the "Report Abuse" icon located on the member's profile or by using the online support request form.
We do not validate the identity of a member or the information that they submit on a profile. Although we take steps to eliminate any suspect members, it is not possible to be 100% sure that all members will be honest and truthful in their dealings with other members. Be alert and use common sense when communicating with other members.
NEVER send money to anyone who you met online, but have not yet met in person.