Online dating is a common thing now, it is hard to find people to date and online dating apps makes it easier to do so and it is more convenient than asking friends to hook you up with someone. It is also fun to scroll through dating apps, maybe laugh at some bio statements or pictures. But there are also threats lying behind the online dating. Communicating with strangers online may result in identity theft, online harassment, and information theft.

But first of all let’s start with best sites for online dating and then jump security issues on them.

Best dating sites

Tinder — one of the most popular dating apps, that fits both for one time thing to long-time relationships. The profiles on Tinder are brief and lets people make decisions quickly by swiping left or right. On the downside for some who want to get more information about the person before chatting, you can’t because Tinder limits the symbols you can write on your profile.

Bumble — this dating app has a feature that makes women be the first ones who writes the guys. And if the guy doesn’t respond in 24 hours, the date disappears. The app makes you react fast since you only have 24 hours for the first message, which is liked by many people, especially by insecure guys who do not like to be the first ones to write.

Hinge — If you want to chat or date someone that is known by your friends or family this is a perfect app. It focuses on common connections that you have with potential match. For those who are looking for serious relationships, the app asks you a number of questions to find the best match that fits your interests and personality.

OkCupid — profiles on this dating app has in-depth profiles (much more in-depth than other dating apps) and also they ask you serious questions to find the best match for you. It is a very good dating app for those who are looking for a serious relationship. Of course it will fit those who are looking for one time hookup.

Happn — this app matches you with people who are located nearby. It will show people with whom you have crossed paths recently. It is a nice app if you see someone but are too afraid to approach them in real life. Of course it is a small chance that this person is using the app.

Her — Most apps have an LGBTQ option, but it is still nice to have a dedicated app. Her is for lesbian, bisexual women. It is perfect for serious relationships and one time meetings.

How to avoid online dating scams

There were many cases when people got scammed through online dating. It could be hard sometimes to oversee that you are being scammed while falling in love. I don’t want to make you paranoid but it sometimes pays out to be so.

How to be paranoid

Run a search on the person you are chatting with. Copy picture that your chatting buddy has on his account and run a search on Google reverse-image search engine. If other names comes up, not the one that the person gave it to you, that’s an alarm.

Run a search by Googling the name of your match. See what pops out and try to confirm the information that they gave you, see if they weren’t lying. Also look at LinkedIn accounts, Facebooks accounts and others.

If something strange comes up, go talk to your friend. Third person might be more clear headed and might oversee the person you are chatting with if it is a scammer.

If your “partner” sends you strange links don’t open them, they could be full of malware and infect your computer. This way the scammer can access your information like passwords. Also you should always use VPNs to encrypt your data and keep yourself secure. Surfshark is a good option and it also offers a nice deal right now (83% discount).

When you are setting up your account or chatting online don’t give them too much information. First of all don’t say or put your full name on your profile. Don’t tell where you work or where you live. Also look up yourself on Google to see what information about you is out there and don’t use pictures that you use on your other social media accounts, if you do, it will be easy to find more information about you then you would be willing to give.

I know that text messages are more convenient, but staying on the app will be much more secure than giving out your number or social media account names.

If you do get scammed report it to the police and the app owners, to prevent other people from the same mistakes. It’s important to not be ashamed of the thing that happened to you and help to prevent future scams.