Are you tempted to send that overseas cutie a message but are worried about safety and scams? Believe it or not, international dating can be as safe as traditional online dating as long as you follow a few basic rules. Here are a few tips to ensure your international dating experience is both fun and safe.

Never Send Money

Singles should never, ever send money to an online dater they have never met in person. This rule is true of traditional online dating and it’s true of international dating as well. Though the majority of international singles are honest and sincere, there are a few devious daters who are looking for an easy way to make a quick buck. Though you may be tempted to send cash to a foreign cutie, resist the urge and put your wallet away.

Guard Your Personal Information

When it comes to online dating, international dating included, it’s best if singles hold on to their personal information at first, rather than give their address, email, and phone number to anyone who asks. Thankfully, PlanetLoveMatch® offers a variety of features, such as SafeCall®, to help singles keep their personal information private. Though most online daters have the best of intentions, it never hurts to be extra cautious.

Take Advantage of Validated Identity Profiles®

Some online daters, both at home and abroad, assume false identities when engaging singles on a dating website. Though their motivations vary, it’s safe to say that singles who lie about who they are generally up to no good. To combat this problem, PlanetLoveMatch developed Validated Identity Profiles® (VIP). Once a VIP shield appears on a member’s profile card, singles can rest assured that a member is who he or she claims because a representative of PlanetLoveMatch has verified the dater’s identity. Few, if any, sites offer the same protection.

While some people are still getting used to the idea of online dating, others are taking it a step further by pursuing men and women in other countries. Though a few bad apples have given international dating a bad name, men and women who follow the same common sense rules that apply to traditional online dating will do just fine.