You’ve no way of knowing that someone you’ve met on MSN or a social networking site is really the person they say they are. For example, someone who pretends to be a teenage girl online could in reality be an adult man. So if you arrange to meet someone whom you’ve got to know on the internet, you’re taking a risk.
If you’re really planning to find a date on the internet, it’s safest to use a paid internet dating site – the people you come across are probably more likely to be serious and genuine.
If you decide to go ahead and meet someone you’ve got to know online:
Never go alone when you meet someone for the first time. Always go with a friend. He or she can always leave you if you want.
Take a mobile phone with you. Then you can send a text message to your friends or parents if your date goes wrong.
Arrange to meet in a public place with a lot of people around.
Arrange with someone to call you during your date. If you’re not happy, you can always say you’ve been called away urgently.
Don’t promise anything until you’ve met in person. For example, don’t agree beforehand that you’re going to kiss someone.
