by Jennifer Eblin

Created on: December 01, 2008

Everyone has heard one of the many horror stories involving online dating. The girl who was raped and murdered by a man she met over the internet. The guy who was beaten and robbed by a couple he met online. These stories aren't urban legends or simple stories used to scare people into paying attention, but real life horror stories of what can happen. Then again, those stories don't even include the dozens of smaller ways you can get hurt when you try online dating.

Imagine for a moment that you've just met the love of your life on one of the many dating sites out there. After weeks of emailing each other back and forth, you finally decide to take things out into the real world. You arrive at the designated meeting spot and after several hours you finally have to face up to the fact that your date just stood you up. You come home and discover that he's blocked you from responding to him, but there he is, back online and looking for women. All he wanted was a little attention and affection from the opposite sex and he never had any intentions of taking that relationship into the real world.

There are worse scenarios to imagine as well. You talk to a suitor for a few weeks and he decides to take you out for dinner. After dinner you share a wonderful kiss and he promises to call you later. Not only does he call you later, but he continues to see you for the next few months. Just as you feel happier than you ever have before, you get the dreaded call from his pregnant wife who accidentally stumbled across his ad online. How would you feel then?

Then you have the real hardcore scammers that make a living off online dating sites. The two of you chat online, get close and he tells you he loves you. He even sends you letters to your house or flowers to your workplace and other little gifts so he can prove his love. Then he conveniently goes overseas, has problems and needs you to send him money right away. You send a few hundred dollars or a few thousand dollars and then he disappears into the night. This same story has been told by hundreds of women over the years. All they wanted was a little romance and they ended up broke.

When it comes to dating online, you always have to be aware of the dangers associated with your actions. Using your real name, giving someone your address or even your home phone number can lead to problems. They can easily use that information to track you down and worm their way into your life. As long as you're smart though, you can try online dating and still stay safe.

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