Fitness Singles wants your online experience to be a pleasant one. Please use sound judgment and be responsible for your conduct online and off. In both the online and real worlds, common sense is your best safety tool.
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Take
your time.
If someone seems too good to be true they probably are.
Start by first communicating solely via email. Watch out
for odd behavior or inconsistencies. Pay attention to
your correspondent’s words. The person at the other
end may not be who or what he/she says. It's always best
to trust your instincts. Walk away from anything that
makes you uncomfortable. |
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Protect Your Anonymity.
All correspondence with Fitness Singles members done via
our email messaging center or Instant Messenger application
will not reveal any personal contact information about
you. If you decide to correspond through your own email
program make sure to use an anonymous username. Never
include your last name, real email address, personal Web
site URL, home address, phone number, place of work, or
any other identifying information in your profile or initial
emails you exchange with other members. |
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Furthermore, when using your own
email, make sure your email signature file is turned off,
or does not include identifying information. Stop communicating
with anyone who pressures you for this information or
attempts in any way to trick you into revealing it. Take
all the time you need to become comfortable with someone
before revealing any person contact information. Ask questions
and make sure you are satisfied with the answers. Trust
your instincts, move cautiously and be selective. |
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Practice Caution and Common Sense.
Careful, well-thought decisions generally lead to better
results in dating, and this is certainly true with online
dating too. Suitors must earn your trust gradually through
consistently forthright behavior. |
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Your job is to take all the time
you need to test for a trustworthy person, and pay careful
attention along the way. Take a relatively conservative
approach to trusting anyone you meet online. If you think
someone is lying, it is likely that they are, so act accordingly.
Move on to someone you can eventually trust. Conduct yourself
and your romances in a responsible manner. Don’t
fall in love at the click of a mouse. Don’t become
prematurely intimate with someone, even if that intimacy
only occurs online. |
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Ask for a Photo.
A photo will give you a good idea of the person’s
appearance. In fact, it’s best to view several images
of this person in a variety of settings: casual, formal,
indoor, outdoors. If he or she continuously comes
up with an excuse, it may be because that person
has something to hide. Fitness Singles will scan
in a photo for free, so there are not any good
excuses for not doing it. A person may also send
you a photo of somebody else. Be cautious. |
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Pick up the phone!
A phone call can provide valuable insight into a person’s
communication and social skills. Do not give out your
personal phone number. Instead, try a cell phone number
or make arrangements to call from a pay phone. Only furnish
your phone number when you feel comfortable doing so. |
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Only meet when ready.
The advantage of meeting and interacting online is that
you can gradually collect information about your potential
partner before making the decision to meet in person.
There is never an obligation to meet anyone and you can
always change your mind if you do decide to arrange a
meeting! |
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Warning signs.
Stay away from people exhibiting behavior such as demeaning,
disrespectful, or physically inappropriate comments. Anger
and intense frustration may be attempts to pressure or
control you so ignore these people as well. Below are
a few more things to watch out for: |
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Provides inconsistent
information on physical and personality characteristics. |
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Refuses a phone
conversation after establishing an online relationship. |
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Will not provide
direct answers to direct questions. |
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His or her online
persona is significantly different than in person. |
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Refuses to introduce
you to friends, co-workers or family members. | |
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Meeting in person for the first
time.
Never arrange for your date to pick you up at home. Use
your own transportation and choose a suitable public location
where many people are present and always take a friend
with you. Be sure to tell someone where you're meeting
and at what time you'll be returning. Provide this person
with your date’s name and telephone number. A coffee
house or restaurant is always a good place to meet. Activities
such as bike rides or hiking may begin in public locations
but wind up in a remote setting so these activities should
be avoided until trust is established. |
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Traveling Outside Your Area.
Always use your own transportation. Never allow your date
to make the arrangements. Avoid meeting at locations that
seem unsafe, awkward, or inappropriate. Do not leave without
informing a friend or family member of where you're going
and who you're meeting. Leave your contact information
and take a cell phone with you if you can. Always trust
your gut instincts and immediately return to your hotel
if you sense something isn't quite right. |
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When in doubt, get out.
Its always better to be safe than sorry. When presented
with an unsafe situation just leave. Don't worry about
what another person may think of you. Your safety is obviously
more important. |
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| Questions
and Suggestions |
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If you have questions or suggestions,
please click here
Fitness Singles
Online Dating Safety
225 Delaware Avenue
Suite 8
Buffalo, NY 14202
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