How to Chat Online Safely

Chatting online can be both fun and entertaining. It can also be a source of friendship or a new relations. There are precautions you need to take when you chat online so that the experience is a safe one. Remember the Internet is accessible to anyone who has online access. Con artists and people with unsavory motives also frequent chat sites. It is better to enter forewarned and forearmed with warnings and common sense ways to protect yourself.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Have a healthy bit of doubt in mind when conversing with someone. Conmen will appeal to your emotions and your weaknesses. They prey on needy people. Players will take what they need from you. On the opposite end, don’t believe every person is who they say they are or does what they say they do. People online can be very proficient liars. If it is too good to be true, it most likely is.

2. Question someone if you suspect something is not right or you find information that doesn’t mesh. If they sound wonderful and perfect, heroic, exceptionally-talented but give you no real proof, be very suspicious. Don’t take their version of proof as the only answer either. Find out answers on your own. Don’t get pulled in. Be aware that online someone can say they are something they aren’t or claim to have skills they don’t. Anyone can do research to make themselves sound convincing.

3. Give out personal information like your real name, phone number and location only when you are reasonably or completely sure what you are doing and who you are talking to. Do not do it right away. Even if they give you a real name and location they can still be totally conning you. Be aware that what you are doing may be involving other innocent people like their family members, spouses or children and may cause real damage without you knowing it. If you find out any of this is the case, cut your losses and walk away. Don’t communicate with them further. It is a no-win situation for you and you can become the cause of more problems.

4. Run a background check on anyone you are becoming close to, especially in a romantic relationship. It is a good precaution to take. Start with a simple name search on Google or some other search engine. Look at social sites, too. Use the country or city they say they live in to run the search. Be aware that if you find something and confront them with it, they will try to cover tracks and sound smooth doing it. Go with your gut feeling if something feels wrong. If you want to delve into a background further, there are online and offline resources available for searches. These usually have a fee associated with them though and are quite pricey. There are some low cost or free resources available to help you. Your safety, physical, financial and mental health is a key factor though, so take the precautions if you need to, especially if there is other family who could be affected. Back off instantly if you find out there are other family members you knew nothing about or your involvement with them could cause you even more problems.

5. Meet someone in person if you feel secure enough, but take the same precautions. Make sure people know exactly where you are going and how you can be reached. Give them names, addresses, photographs and numbers and all pertinent information like where you met them, who they are and so forth. If possible, take a friend along if you are unsure. Meet in an open, public place.

6. Go online with a healthy attitude. Don’t go on expecting prince charming to come and carry you away to the place of your dreams. Don’t expect to find the best friend in the world. You may be lucky and find some great people or a wonderful relationship or life partner, but be sure of yourself before you jump in. Don’t look to be rescued from an unhappy life online in a chat room. Chances are you may get burned if you do.