7 Free Online Dating Tips

Are you ready to delve into the world of online dating? Here are seven free online dating tips.

1. Find the right online dating site. You'll want to do plenty of research on a prospective online dating service before you ever fill out any personal information. My advice? Stick to the large, established and reputable online dating services. Look for a detailed privacy policy as well as a service that allow you to chat with members without exposing your identifying details.

2. Be super careful with your identifying information. Don't give your address, phone number or any other contact information. Use the dating site's anonymous chat function until you feel confident that it's safe to share more personal information.

When in doubt, don't share. And even when you feel like you are ready to give out some personal details, there are several ways that you can maintain a semi-anonymous persona. Consider creating a second email account just for online dating. You can even set up a separate voicemail account and PO Box, as well.

3. When you make phone calls to prospective matches, use a public phone or a prepaid cell phone. And don't make calls to your prospective match's toll-free number from your home phone because your phone number will probably show up on their phone bill at the end of the month.

4. Check out your prospective match in any way you can think of before you agree to meet. Check social networking sites and search engines, for example.

5. Trust your instincts. If you are at all uncomfortable, don't hesitate to stop this new relationship before it even starts.

6. When you decide to meet, make sure to do so in a public place. Meet them someplace (instead of asking them to pick you up at your home) and tell a friend where you'll be.

7. Don't drink on the first date. You want to be fully aware of what's going on around you.

Lots of people meet via online dating services. While these seven tips might sound a bit paranoid, they are really just keys to help you to be aware. On the Internet, it's very easy to pretend to be someone you are not, so you just need to take proper precautions. The online dating service you choose should have even more keys to online safety, as well as more free online dating tips.

Just remember this: Online dating can be a fun way to meet new friends and prospective matches as long as personal safety is your first priority.