With couples meeting online every day, the general public starts to forget that dating websites can be risky. Until you meet a match in-person, it’s impossible to tell if the individual is who they say they are. Also, these romance sites can be targeted (or even created) by hackers, looking to steal users’ personal data. (Remember the Ashley Madison and AdultFriendFinder breaches?) Don’t let your information fall into malicious hands. Activate anti-hacking on your device to protect your personal information from malicious websites:
Never visit an online dating hub without using Anti-Hacking. Since these sites can act as fronts for criminal enterprises, you must always enable the anti-hacking feature when you’re browsing. This feature will fully protect you from phishing attacks and malicious websites. Looking for other ways to stay safe in the world of online dating? The following will tell you how to stay safe while looking for a summer fling, a long-term love, or a future spouse online. Read More: These Are the Five Dating Apps That Are Killing Tinder
Tips for Staying Safe on Dating Websites
- Investigate the dating site before you create a profile. Never give away money or personal information to sign-up for some website that you’ve never heard about. A quick Google search should clear up whether the dating platform is safe to join.
- Never disclose personal information. You never know who is reading your dating profile. It’s important to never give away your full name, your birthday, where you live, your workplace, or your educational institution. This data could be used for stalking, identity theft, and other frightening consequences.
- Be careful who you decide to meet. Even if a person has a great profile and you’re immediately interested in him or her, don’t agree to a first date without doing some investigating. Talk to him or her online for a bit, and see if what he/she tells you sounds believable. Finally, run his/her profile pictures through Google Images to make sure they’re authentic.
- Always have the first date in a public place. When meeting someone online for the first time, you should never: allow the other person to pick you up at home, meet at his or her house, or hang out in a secluded area. Doing any of the above could put you in harm’s way.
- Know your exit strategy ahead of time. If the date isn’t going well or you feel unsafe, it’s vital to know how to get out of the situation. This strategy should be planned out before meeting the person, in case you need to ask a friend for help. Also, making up an excuse on the spot can be extremely awkward.
PSafe NewsroomThe dfndr blog is an informative channel that presents exclusive content on security and privacy in the mobile and business world, with tips to keep users protected. Populated by a select group of expert reporters, the channel has a partnership with dfndr lab's security team. Together they bring you, first-notice news about attacks, scams, internet vulnerabilities, malware and everything affecting cybersecurity.