With the introduction of Web 2.0 and several social networking sites and online communities, there was also an increase in number of people who gets hooked to it. It became their channel to meet strangers in the Internet world. But whether you just want to look for friends, a dating partner or whatever reason it may be, you should bear in mind to never forget the precautionary measures while using the Internet.
Precautionary Measures
Never trust anyone especially those you don’t know in real life
This may be very obvious but there are still some people who do not know the value of this
advice. Even how fun the Internet might be, you should still keep in mind that you can never give your full trust on anyone you meet online until you will know him/her personally. Also, you should never attempt to meet someone until you get to know him/her well from online chat. Scammers and criminals nowadays are wiser than before. They tend to use fake profiles with realistic photos and personal information to easily mingle into social networking sites.
Never give any personal information
Since you should not fully trust anybody online, then it is not advisable to share certain things to them. Banking and financial information is one of the biggest no-no in this situation. It is better to use some nickname instead of using your full name. Sharing you interests and pastimes can be a good idea but you should never give your home address.
Never do any important transactions with anyone you don’t know
Scammers usually targets pen pal sites and social networking sites. They would sometimes make up stories that they have a sick relative who asks cash from you. You should avoid conversations about money, mail forwarding or any other transactions with people you meet online.