One of the biggest concerns I hear from many people about online dating is the safety of it all. With news stores of people getting scammed out of money, stalked, and left with a broken heart; it can be scary to think of putting yourself out there.

Here are some signs to watch for to protect you from these scams:

1. Don’t fall too fast – one of the best ways to protect yourself is to not fall too fast. These scam artists will try to get in a woo you quickly, and then play on your emotions. Don’t give up your emotions too quickly.
2. Look for Inconsistencies– There was one time when a man contacted me stating he was a single Dad. In his profile he said he was divorced, but in his second or third e-mail to me he stated how he had his kids full time because he lost his wife in a horrible car accident. There was the first indication of a scam. Then he said that his favorite activities he enjoys regularly included golfing and scuba diving – both of those are activities that require a lot of time and aren’t very child friendly.
3. Very long e-mails – I have noticed that many of these scam artist work their way into your heart by writing very long e-mails. Not saying that all men who write long e-mails are the bad guy, but this is a sign to watch for in conjunction with the other ones.
4. Giving you a Personal E-mail address – Many times they will try to get you to communicate through a personal e-mail address quickly. Many times this is because their profiles don’t last very long on these dating sites.
5. Out of the State or Out of the Country – If there is any man who is contacting you from another state, raise your caution flags…PERIOD! If you are on a dating site, my guess is that you are looking to find someone to see and date…and if he is out of the state or country, that most likely won’t happen.
6. Don’t Give Money to Anyone on a Dating Site – No matter how sad his story, how far away he is, no matter how bad you feel for him, if he (or she) asks you for money…JUST Say NO!
7. Only one or Two Pictures – You can tell a lot by a person’s pictures, or lack thereof! Many times the scam artists will select one or two pictures from a magazine or other source of “picture perfect hotties.”

You will find scam artists in all areas of life – the key is to being able to pick them out before they are able to scam you. The main thing is, if you think something seems strange, follow your instinct. If he is Mr. Right or Mrs. Right, they will not be offended if you are cautious in opening up too quickly.

Remember, dating safety doesn’t just end with avoiding the stalkers! There are other dating safety tips to keep you safe when you start meeting people in the dating world! Don’t go down this path alone – there are many resources to help you along your journey.

Keep in mind, overall there are many more fun, interesting and wonderful people than there are creeps on these online dating sites anyways!