With so much going on in our lives, sometimes concern for our security can prevent us from taking the first steps toward meeting our potential true love - like sending a simple message over to someone you're interested in, or to someone who has already shown interest in you.
To diminish that concern, we created a fun and friendly way for you to know not only that you're safe, but to what extent you're safe, with Pyar Trophies. These were created because we want you to know you're safe and secure when on Pyar.com.
Pyar uses trophy verifications to verify each user's authenticity. The more trophies your match has (you can collect up to five), the more verified they are.
When you're chatting with someone you've just met on Pyar, you're able to see whether or not the person has verified their email, Facebook account, profile photos, and mobile number.
While we do everything in our power to create a safe online dating environment, there are still precautions you can take to protect yourself from the #fakes.
1. Never share your credit card information
Avoid sending your credit card information to those your matches. Even if you might develop feelings for them over time, it doesn't make sense for them to ask for that information in the first place.
Have you heard of sweetheart scammers? These are people who make their victims believe they're in a committed relationship, but are really just using them to get to their money, according to Mollie Halpern with FBI, This Week.
While there is no need to be paranoid about a match's intentions, keep in mind that these scammers exist.
2. Don't send bank information, money, or overly personal information.
Along the same lines, don't send banking, or other information that would enable someone to steal your identity.
"...the average financial loss per victim is between $15,000 to $20,000," says Halpern.
Don't send cash, either.
via GIPHY
3. Report any suspicious behavior
If someone is crossing a line and making you uncomfortable or if they're requesting money and/or personal information, please don't hesitate to bring this to our attention. The safety of our users is very important to us and we aim to make the online dating world a safer place for all. Reporting such behaviors can help us reach our goal and reduce the number of scammers on the internet, which will protect you as well as other online daters.
4. Be completely honest when it comes to your profile and photo.
Don't post any photos of you from high school, when you're a 35-year-old. Unless you've found the fountain of youth, it's always a good rule of thumb to keep your profile up to date so potential matches know exactly who you are; you would expect the same thing from your matches, so do them the courtesy of keeping your profile current. Keep in mind when posting a photo, that it should not only be up to date, but it should be an appropriate photo of just you. Feel free to make it a photo of you and your furry companion, or a photo of you doing something you love. This photo is going to give a little insite as to what you're like, so make it a good one!
5. Protect your identity at all costs
According to Identity Theft and Scam Expert, Rob Douglas, nearly 15 million United States residents have their identities stolen yearly, equaling upwards of $50 billion in financial losses per year. Please take all necessary precautions to protect yourself from identiity theft.
This doesn't mean you can't share your interests, in fact we encourage you to provide as much detail as possible when it comes to your profile, so our experts can make sure your matches are as accurate as possible. That being said, it's not important that potential matches know information like your social security number or your bank account information, you should definitely keep personal information like that underwraps.
Do your research and get to know the person you plan on going out with, prior to meeting up with them
Doing a little investigating will help reduce the chances of you being scammed. Try to get them to talk on the phone with you. If they refuse to talk on the phone or are constantly making excuses for why they can't talk, don't meet up. Typical behavior for a scammer or someone who is catfishing, is to avoid talking on the phone and avoid meeting in public. check to see if they have a Facebook, or any other social media account or even google search their name and photo to see if their information comes up. Though it may seem over the top, you can even do a background check to really make sure the person you are about to go out with checks out.
When you meet your match for the first time, make sure you do so in a public, well lit setting.
The above image is exactly what you should be staying away from when meeting someone. If you see that this is where you'll be meeting, run in the opposite direction. Thousands of abductions happen each year due to meet ups in sketchy areas. Chances are, if you're looking for something beyond a fling, you're going to meet in a public place anyway, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.
As we've previously discussed, talking on the phone before you go out is a must.
Someone looking to scam or you, will more than likely not want to talk on the phone; they will avoid you hearing their actual voice so it's harder to identify. If they agree to talking on the phone and don't ditch, then it probably means they are looking to form a genuine connection. It's also a great way to establish some talking points for your first date and to get to know the person a little better before you dive into the date.
When it comes to dating, whether online or in person, we care about your safety. Please make sure to:
- Never over indulge in alcohol.
- Always have realistic expectations for your date.
- Don't agree to go to your dates house after the date. Especially if you don't know them well.