Dangers of Internet Dating

The day has come when internet dating is considered a legitimate way of meeting new people in the endless search for the right person. Chat rooms have replaced bar rooms, and dating sites and personal ads no longer have the "stigma" that they once did. You may still get a raised eyebrow when telling people you are using the internet for your search for the perfect mate, but no where close to the reaction you would have gotten years ago. Internet dating has gained popularity by leaps and bounds, and unfortunately, so have the dangers and horror stories some have encountered.
The anonymity of internet dating has afforded con artists a new playground for scams, and has allowed people to be anyone they think you want them to be because they are engaging you primarily through the written word. This site is not meant to bring forth the message that its impossible to find love through internet dating, but to inform people of the dangers that are out there. Internet dating is still a relatively new way of people connecting with people from all over the globe, and people need to understand the dangers out there so they can make their search a safe one. Included in this site or stories from those that have been there, and are willing to share their experiences with others in an effort to educate people and learn from their mistakes. If you have a story and would like to share your experiences with internet dating, please feel free to email it to us!
Internet dating has been portrayed mostly with "success stories", because many of those who have had bad experiences are too embarrassed to talk about them openly, thinking they are the rarity, or the "unlucky one".  Movies and T.V. have also focused on the lighter side of internet dating as opposed to the darker side. What's tricky here is people WANT to believe they are going to find what they are looking for (nothing wrong with that) and DON'T want to believe someone may be lying to them or playing games. They think they are "too smart" to fall for b.s., and it is that attitude that leaves them wide open to be proven wrong. If you are planning to surf the web with high hopes and expectations, arm yourself with the knowledge of what to avoid and what to watch out for, so you have the best possible chance of a positive outcome.
Unfortunately there are many hidden dangers in the world of internet dating, and it's up to you to recognize the signs and red flags so that your internet dating experience stands the best chance of success, rather than leaving a bad taste in your mouth.
The internet dating "scene" is one of the easiest places for someone to cheat on their spouse or significant other, or to use the internet dating area as a place for promiscuity. The danger of long-distance internet romances is it is extremely easy for someone already involved with a partner to go out and cheat in a relatively safe (for them) environment. Get a secret email address, create a persona, and have a cel phone and, if necessary a p.o. box and your all set!!! Many times, before someone can verify that all they have been told over the internet by someone they are interested in dating is the truth, they are already emotionally vested and don't want to hear the truth, or get hurt by hearing the truth. You must realize the internet dating scene can be dangerous to those who don't take it seriously, and for those too trusting in nature. Please read further in the site to arm yourself with the knowledge you need to internet date safely, watch out for the signs of danger, and pay attention to EVERY red flag you see!!
Internet dating has proved to be successful for some, but statistics show it is not always successful for many, and the price for their internet dating experience in spades. The numerous horror stories of bad internet experiences can range from the humorous, to the deadly. If you have decided that you really want to try internet dating, remember to take it seriously, and play it safe. There are many numerous internet dating websites, that offer a variety of options, pick one that is right for you. The costs of internet dating sites vary also, so shop around for the best value. You can also post or answer personal ads to meet your internet date. Many of these sites are free, with a simple registration. Internet dating websites often have numerous testimonials on their websites of how they met their soulmate or spouse using their internet dating service. What they won't put on their site however, is testimonials from people who have had bad experiences. Those you will find here! Please read our victims stories pages, and perhaps you can avoid an internet dating situation like they went through, or, if you have had a bad internet dating experience you wont feel so alone! Please feel free to send us your internet dating experiences with your permission to post your story.
We recently received the following letter from Carolle, who gave us permission to print her story:
"I was fooling around on the internet sending emails back and forth to some girlfriends of mine. One friend kept pressuring me to try internet dating since my dating life seemed to be going nowhere fast. She sent me an internet dating site and we started going through the profiles, and she helped me to make one of my own. We decided to leave it to fate and go through the ones that contact me first. This was how I met Matt, who lived in another state, but said he put an ad in mine because his job was re-locating him this year, so he may as well look for love where he was going to be living. This sounded reasonable at the time, but now, looking back on it, this was red flag number 1. We exchanged emails with more and more frequency, and seemed to have a lot in common. He asked for my phone number and I asked for his instead. He said that since he was moving he had disconnected his home phone number and only used his cel in preparation for his move. Again, this sounded like no problem, but should have been red flag number 2! We chatted on the phone, and he seamed anxious to meet, and said he would be in my area because he would be house hunting in a few months. So, we kept talking on the phone, and I began to notice he didn't answer my calls mainly during evenings and weekends. He said since work was paying for it, he had to limit his evening and weekend calls. Once again, this guy had an excuse for everything, and I should have seen this as red flag number 3! I went back on the internet dating site, and saw his profile was still active, even though we spoke everyday and planned to meet next month! (This red flag I did pay more attention to.) A friend told me she was writing to some men on the internet dating site from out of state, I decided just to browse, just to see what was out there. Guess who was? Matt was! He was in several different states, with several different "handles" but the one thing he did was keep the same photo. So, I asked my friend to help me set up a phony profile on the internet dating site to try and find out what he was up to. I wrote to him pretending to be a woman from a different state, far away from where I lived. We wrote back and forth and I got an email from him saying how he was going to be moving to THAT state in a few months, and was going to be in THAT area because THAT was where he was moving! I was fuming, I realized this was all a bunch of lies, this man was never moving to my town or any other, he was just using this internet dating site as a way to make false promises to women looking for something long term, it is obvious he had no plans to deliver! Now when I go to the internet dating sites, I only choose people that live in my area NOW. I recommend people looking for a long term relationship to start in their area!"