Dating Safely on the Internet II

Dupes. How about them? I have always maintained that in order to be duped on the Internet, you have to be foolish, greedy or both. It is wrong to want to reap where you did not sow, or take advantage of others. However, the person who is hoping to assist a criminal to get away with stolen stash and for personal gain is not a saint either. We only get to hear their cry after they have been duped. Who did they tell when they were hoping to make millions off a stranger on the Internet? No easy money anywhere. Work for your money. Don’t expect any manna from heaven and you will be free of Internet fraudsters asking for your bank accounts and all that.


I am of the opinion that, given the way the society is, our work schedules and myriad of activities we have choked ourselves with, the Internet presents the easiest and safest way of meeting a potential partner. There are a few sensible steps to take and you can have a ball with Internet dating.

Be realistic. Don’t expect too much or too soon. Any form of dating is about knowing the other person, and it takes a while. It is a process. Don’t let pressure from family and friends make you do what you ought not to, or enter into a relationship just to meet their expectation. You may or may not meet your future partner here, but you can make other life friends here. People come into your life for diverse reasons. You have other friends of the opposite sex but you are not married to all of them, right? But these are people you can talk to if you need to talk to someone; or call to help you move, if you are relocating; or ask advice about some things you have no clue how to handle. I have made some friends on the Internet over time. We still talk and share ideas. They have no problems calling me if they need help and vice versa. Whatever you do, don’t put yourself under the pressure to meet someone and make it work at all cost. I read people’s profile and they say it has to be “serious”; “if you are a player, just stay away”, and so on. Players will not admit it to you; neither will they stay away because you said so. Just relax and face them with a level head. You are likely to spot them faster that way and what you do after that is up to you. Women often spot players but refuse to let them go because they think they have at least found someone, or they think they are in love.

Unlike the person you met at the grocery shop, every person on most dating site must say upfront what they are looking for and whether it is serious or not. Whether it is the truth or not is another matter altogether, but at least you have a starting point. No guesses. Someone may say they are looking for something serious in the beginning but you found out later that they only wanted to play. Again, at least you knew they wanted something. In other words, those who don’t want drenching splashes should not go near the river.