While many of us may know how to create an interesting online dating profile, some of us may get a little carried away and reveal more information than necessary.

An online dating profile should be interesting and inviting however, it should not be a way for potential fraudsters to easily get detailed information about you.

When you are creating your online dating profile, remember to keep your safety in mind too.

Creating A Safe Profile

USE AN APPROPRIATE USERNAME

Everyone wants an eye-catching username, but exactly whose eye are you catching? A flirty username such as “sexykitten69” might only attract the attention of people looking for short term relationships, just as “marryme” will attract those looking for long-term commitment. When choosing a username be aware of any loaded meanings it may have.

Also, it is imperative that you do not divulge your real name (especially your last name) in your profile. Giving away your name on a public forum sets you up as an easy target for scams, ID theft and other online fraud.

PASSWORD PROTECTION

As always, a good password is essential for your online dating account. A scammer should not be able to easily guess your password or they may even hijack your profile. Keep our Password Security Tips in mind and choose a password that is easy for you to remember yet hard for others to guess.

ONLINE ID THEFT

The importance of a good password cannot be stressed enough because a compromised account can not only put you at risk but can place your contacts at risk too. Very often scammers gain access to a person’s online dating account or even their Facebook account and take advantage of their friends by pretending to be the account holder. So a scammer could log into your account and get in touch with your friends on Facebook or even someone you’ve been interacting with on an online dating site and scam them off money. So the scammer (pretending to be you) gets in touch with your contacts and tells them you are stuck in some sort of emergency. Your friends are unlikely to realize it’s a scammer and in their attempt to help you, they will have been robbed off their money by a scammer. This sometimes happens with email accounts as well, so keep your details secure and use a strong password on all your accounts.

KEEP PERSONAL DETAILS PERSONAL

An online dating profile is designed for you to attract a potential partner. However, this does not mean you need to reveal your personal details on your profile. Most online dating services will probably disallow it anyway if you try to give away your contact details on your profile. But, you should not reveal other details like where you work or even what gym you go to on your profile. This information has the potential of being used against you

GIVING AWAY TOO MUCH

In addition to keeping your personal details closely guarded, you should also review your profile for any other information that might reveal too many details. For example, don’t discuss your dog on your profile if your email security question is about your dog. Be sensible about the information you reveal on your profile.

Put some thought into your online dating profile because it is the first impression other singles on the site will have of you. However, at all times remember to keep your personal details secure.