Navigating the Dating Scene with Technology

            Dating has never been easier with the advent of smart phones and dating apps. But it’s also never been scarier. Thanks to technology, it’s never been easier for a scammer or a catfish, which we’ll get into in a moment, to get the best of you. Don’t let yourself be mislead by someone who’s trying to hurt you with a fake identity. Here’s how you can stay safe by using technology to your advantage while navigating the dating scene.

What Is a Catfish Anyway?

            For whatever reason, plenty of people enjoy fooling and misleading others through dating sites and social media by faking an identity. These people are called “Catfish” and the term was popularized by a documentary and MTV reality TV show of the same name. Catfish might be predators trying to lure in victims. Or they might be attempting to garner sympathy by pretending to be a veteran or sick. They may try to attract you in order to scam you out of your time and money. There’s a million reasons why someone might try to become a Catfish. But you can be smarter than them.

So They Sent You Pictures

            Just because someone sends you a photo doesn’t mean it’s legitimate. People may steal other photos from social media or through a web search in order to pretend they’re someone else. If someone on a dating site sends you photos and you’re not sure if they’re legitimate or not, always conduct a reverse image search through a site like Google Images. Simply upload the photo and you can search for pages that have previously featured the same image. If the photo shows up on other sites and they belong to someone else, there’s a good chance the photo isn’t real.

When They Call

            If you hit it off with someone you’ve met online, chances are likely that you may be calling or texting them. Like conducting a reverse image search, you can use a reverse lookup for cell phones service. A cell phone reverse phone lookup service allows you to input a number. Depending on what features the site offers, you can find out what location the number comes from as well as information like the person’s name and, potentially, their address. While you might have to pay for some sites, plenty of companies offer free reverse cell phone number lookup services so you may want to keep all of this in mind. Always conduct one of these searches if you’re not sure if the person you’re talking to is legitimate.

Before You Meet

            Finally, be wary of meeting someone in public before you’re really sure of who they are. If you’re having trouble finding information about them through reverse image and number searches, that doesn’t always mean they’re legitimate. Sometimes they can still be shady no matter what you do. One thing you can do right now is to offer to video chat with a person. It’s impossible to fake an identity over a service like Skype or FaceTime. If they refuse to even video chat or come up with an excuse, you can be sure that they’re probably hiding something.

            If you do decide to meet your date in public, always meet them in public. Never visit them at their house, at your house, or at a motel. It can also help to tell a friend where you’re going just in case something happens to you, although it’s not likely to happen in public.

            Dating online can be fun but there’s a lot of dangerous people out there. With these tips in mind you can confidently date people without having to worry about who you’re talking to.