Your safety matters to us!

Congratulations on taking that first step towards finding another match. It can be a scary with plenty of horror stories but it an also be very rewarding. Below are some tips to help you stay safe on your new adventure!

Tips to stay safe while online dating:

• Always trust your instinct -- after all, it's gotten you this far in life already
• Take your time and look at lots of different profiles to get a feel for what kind of person you want
• Never publish your phone number or email address
• Don't take anything at face value -- it's easy to lie online, and many people do
• Ask lots of questions when chatting with your potential mates
• Make sure you feel comfortable with whoever you are chatting with, at all times
• If someone is abusive or rude, block them immediately
• Before agreeing to a date, make sure you know as much about the other person as possible
• Don't allow yourself to be talked into anything -- you're the one in charge
• Take your time to get to know someone -- don't be rushed
• Make sure anyone you're talking to is willing to provide photos and information about himself or herself
• Always meet in a well-lit public place
• Always tell a good friend where you are going and who you're meeting
• If possible, step away and call a friend during the date to confirm that everything is ok
• Always carry a cell phone on a date
• Schedule lunch dates -- they're convenient and they have a time limit
• Always make your own travel arrangements to/from a first date
• Do not accept a ride home on the first date or reveal your address
• If you're traveling far, always make and confirm your own hotel arrangements
• Make sure you have as much information about your date as possible
• Keep your first date to a specified time limit so you always have an "exit" point
• Never feel like you owe it to someone to meet them -- you don't!

**Source: http://www.polymatchmaker.com/go/safedate

MatchingPair NYC