AD| Finding love during the lockdown and how to stay safe
The whole world is currently living in a heightened state of alert. A lot of countries are in lockdown and even a simple trip to the shop has more risks now than ever before.
More and more people are starting to appreciate the things we took for granted before the lockdown. Things such as being able to get an online food delivery or a simple trip to the park with family and friends. Even a trip to the cinema or just being able to see our loved ones.
It’s certainly a very strange and surreal time. I’m lucky because I’m surrounded by family. I have my husband and our children, along with my sister, niece and nephew just a phone call away.
Online Dating
However some people aren’t so lucky and this lockdown has perhaps brought that to the forefront of some people’s minds. Many people, especially during these surreal times, are turning to online free dating sites no sign up uk to ease their loneliness. Many a love story has started via the internet with lots of couples finding their soul mate in this way.
Online dating is a wonderful way for all sorts of people to meet new friends, find companionship and perhaps even love. Of course, like anything on the internet when dating online there are some things you should be aware of. For example there are so many dating scams doing the rounds. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of what measures you should take to protect yourself from such scams. Services such as matchmehappy.co.uk which is free to join, have a solid infrastructure and AI technology to keep people safe from nasty scammers.
How to be safe online
When it comes to meeting people online never ever give away any personal information. Of course, you’re allowed to tell them your name, but by no means should you be indulging someone you’ve just met online with your full name, date of birth and address etc.
If you’ve been chatting to someone online for a while but they’re reluctant to meet up in person or perhaps talk over the phone, this should set alarm bells ringing. It’s possible that the person you’re chatting online with could be a catfish. That’s someone who uses somebody else’s photos online to create a fake profile in order to deceive someone either by trying to get money from you or by other means.
In addition to someone avoiding speaking to you on the phone or meeting online, you should also be wary of anyone who offers up too much information too soon or wants to get serious with you quickly. They could be attempting to gain your trust so you’ll be more willing to send them money.
Some of the most common things that scammers will ask you for are:
- Money for travel such as a plane ticket
- Money to pay off debts
- Money to cover customs fees to pay for something they’ve received
- Money for medical expenses
- Money for passports or other such documents
If you suspect that you’re being scammed it’s important to stop all contact with immediate effect and tell someone you trust.
You can also do a reverse image search of the person’s profile picture to see if it’s associated with another name or with details that don’t match up. Whatever you do, never send money to anyone you don’t know personally or have never met in real life.
