Protecting Your Online Identity

With recent reports into online dating we would like to point out some ways in which you can help to protect your identity online, both on dating websites and on social networking sites.

Data protection

This is going to sound a bit like IT support, but – the number one thing to consider when looking to stay safe online is to think about your password security.

Don’t choose an obvious password – If your password is your dog’s name or your favourite football team, it will be easy for people to guess it. Even if it means adding a number in the middle of the word, it’ll make it harder for people to guess.

Don’t save your passwords on your desktop – It’s tricky trying to remember all of your passwords, especially if you’ve made them extra secure, but don’t whatever you do save them on your computer desktop or on a sticky note on your screen.

Online dating safety

Don’t use your full name on a dating profile – We don’t allow people to use their full name on Muddy Matches, but some other sites do. By using your full name and location, you are giving people the opportunity to find you outside of the safety of the website itself.

Have an email address specifically for online dating – The safest way to communicate when you’re using a dating site such as Muddy Matches is to use the secure messaging service. However, once you are dating someone you will probably want to exchange contact details. When exchanging email addresses it’s best to give out an email address that you don’t use for other things, just in case you wish to close the account down at a later stage. Try not to use a work email address!

If it’s too good to be true…- We work hard to prevent scammers from joining Muddy Matches, but some other websites don’t have the same checks in place, so it’s a good idea to remain vigilant. If someone seems too good to be true, do not give away personal details and do not give anyone money!

Report anything suspicious – All reputable dating websites will have a method for you to report people who you are suspicious of. This will enable the website owners to investigate and to potentially remove the suspicious member from the website.

Social networking

I could dedicate this whole section to staying safe on Facebook (the most popular social networking site), but I’ll try to mention other sites too.

Don’t share all your details online – It amazes me how many people worry about having their photo on a dating website, but are happy to have it plastered all over social networking sites along with their full name, location and a whole host of other information. If you saw the Panorama episode about online dating, you will know that some immoral companies sell fake profiles that have been created using people’s Facebook accounts.

Facebook is the worst offender for asking for every single detail about you, but you don’t need to fill it all in. Your true friends and family will already know your phone number, birthday and what school you went to without it being in a public domain.

Set your privacy settings to high – If you don’t want strangers to be perusing your holiday photos or reading your tweets about what the drunken man on the train was shouting, your best bet is to set your privacy settings to only allow people you know to see your accounts. Click on the links to find out how you can set your privacy settings on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.