Dating is one of the most fun games you can play but, like all fun things, you still have to play it safe. Rule one, as always, is use your common sense. If someone seems a bit odd or you’re not sure about the way they are talking to you, end contact and, if you’re really concerned contact us (if you’re still just talking online) or the police (if you’ve met up and are on a date).

Of course most people never end up in this situation and have a great time meeting new people. So have fun, stick to the guidelines below and everything should work out just right.

1. Don’t show your private bits online.
Your email address, surname, personal URL, place of work need to be kept secret at all times when interacting online. By keeping them secret you retain the power to make sure that anyone you don’t want contacting you can’t contacting you. Letting someone know your full name or where you work means they can try to find you in real life without your agreement or knowing, and that can be dangerous.

2. Get intimate online before you get intimate in the real world
MeetMyMate is a secure online environment where you can enjoy getting to know people while remaining safe and anonymous.

Use that to your advantage and make sure you know everything you need to know about a person before you step out and meet them in the real world. Have a good long conversation, ask a few questions and if things start to ring untrue then consider that to be alarm bells in your head which need to be listened to before you go meeting the person in real life.

3. Get mobile
Before you have reassured yourself that the person you have met online is someone you want to meet in real life you need to take one more step… a phone conversation. Talking to someone on the phone can, excuse the pun, speak volumes. You will get an idea of their social skills and, with a bit of intuition, be able to sense whether their intentions are honest.

When talking on the phone, always use a mobile. A work or home number can easily be traced back to a physical address whereas a mobile number cannot.

4. Meet in public
This might sound obvious but meeting a stranger in a private place is a recipe for disaster. Always meet in a public place where you feel safe and comfortable and there are lots of good samaratins around to lend a hand if things turn out to be not as they seem.

Tell a mate where you’re going, take a mobile phone and don’t accept a lift home until you are absolutely, positively sure that you are happy for your date to know where you live.

We don’t want to make dating sound scary but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

5. The signs of Stranger Danger
OK, you’re an adult, we’re not your mother, but we’re going to give you a quick lecture on the signs to look out for anyway because, let’s face it, it’s for your own good.

• Look out for people who come across as angry, frustrated or controlling, not just to you but also those around them. These are often the first signs that things are not what they seem.
• Don’t stand for anything less that perfect behaviour. Sexually suggestive, demeaning or rude behaviour is good reason to terminate a date right then and there.
• Fibs speak volumes. If someone tells you one thing online and another in person then they are probably lying about a lot more than that.
• Love needs time grow. Anyone who says they love you on the first date is either a little messy in the head or trying too hard and, either way, it’s probably not going to lead to the perfect relationship you are looking for.
• The devil is in the details. A question that goes unanswered or gets a vague answer could be an attempt to disguise a fib so go back and as for a bit more clarity in the answer.

6. If you’re really in doubt, tell someone
If at any time in the dating game you feel your safety or privacy is at risk, tell us or tell the police.

Don’t be shy, don’t be embarrassed.

Just email strangerdanger@MeetMyMate.com.au or call 000.