Online dating safety: 7 tips
Even on quiet, friendly P.E.I., it can happen — an internet date gone horribly wrong, ending in sexual assault.
On Friday, 35-year-old Jeffrey Hogg was sentenced in court in Charlottetown to 40 months behind bars for sexually assaulting a woman he met on the internet dating site Plenty of Fish. It was the second time he was convicted for sexually assaulting a woman he met online — he lured the women using a false name and assaulted them after meeting for a date.
CBC tech expert Jamey Ordolis has some tips on how to stay safe while enjoying the internet dating scene.
1. Read the fine print
"Each of these dating sites has basic safety guidelines, " said CBC tech expert Jamey Ordolis, speaking with CBC News: Compass host Bruce Rainnie from Toronto. Plenty of Fish, Match.com and other popular sites have them.
"Google them and read them... send the link to your friends and make them read them as well."
2. Don't be pressured
People are lulled into believing meeting for sex with strangers is something everyone is doing these days, so it's OK, Ordolis said.
"You see headlines like 'Millennials are hooking up in 10 texts or less,'" she said. "Don't be fooled into thinking that this is a thing that's happening and be pressured into making quick sexual encounters," she advised.
Treat these invitations as you would dating in person — don't do it because you believe it's a trend, she urged.
3. Don't be fooled
"Online predators will spend the time getting to know you, using personal information that you've listed, in order to lure you and give you this false sense of intimacy," Ordolis said. "Do not be fooled by that. Stick to your safety measures when you're making your first dates."
4. Secret location
Do not let people know where you are or where you live, Ordolis advises. Make sure that information is not available on any of your social media including Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram.
Someone wants to know your address to send you flowers or a singing telegram? It's a big red flag, sais Ordolis. "Don't go for that!"
5. Be mysterious
Just because some dating sites ask for a lot of personal information doesn't mean you have to give it, Ordolis said.
"Get to know people as you encounter them," she said. Don't give them any information they can use to manipulate you.
6. Err on side of caution
When meeting for the first time, it must be in a public place, Ordolis said.
Some advise only meeting in daylight hours, but Ordolis said that's overkill — just make sure it's not your place, their place or an isolated location.
When she dated online, Ordolis said she would do a screen grab of her dates information and send it to a friend so they'd know if anything happened to her. Check in with the friend during or after the date, she reminds.
"Meeting a stranger — that's great!" she smiled. "But there are serious risks involved."
7. Stay sober
Don't stay sober just because you might do something dumb and not get another phone call, Ordolis said — do it because your safety is at stake.
"You need to have your wits about you," Ordolis concluded.
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