Modern love: 5 tips for safe online dating

Looking for love online comes with its own set of safety considerations. Follow these five simple steps to help you stay safe while exploring the exciting world of online dating.

If you use social media, it can be remarkably easy for strangers to find your home address. After all, you might list your employer, where you went to school, your favourite coffee shop and many other hints and clues. There might even be pictures of your house.

• Be sure to hide your personal information and photos on all social media platforms.

Most scammers do not use their own pictures to lure potential victims.

• One of the quickest and easiest ways to nip a bad connection in the bud is to use Google Images to reverse search the photo. If the person using it isn't who they say they are, it's a good indicator that they may be lying about many other things too.

If the person you're talking to is a scam artist, they probably have several people on the hook simultaneously. This can leave them struggling to remember the details. They may mention that they grew up in a small town during one chat, and then mention life in the big city in another.

• Look for consistency. The more red flags you see, the more likely it is that the person is deceptive.

Those that claim to be frequent travellers or who claim to live abroad may not be Canadian at all.

• Be on guard for spelling and grammar mistakes. You don't have to be a "Grammar Nazi", but you should look for verb tense mistakes and article issues. These are very basic mistakes that most native speakers know how to avoid.

Scam artists are often easy enough to spot, but when it comes to the first date, you may face a whole new set of risks.

• Be sure to let friends know where you're going.
• Always provide your own transportation, and never leave the public meeting place with your date.
• You might even want to ask a friend to come along and wait at the bar. They can be escape routes if things don't go well at dinner.

All risks aside, many people meet and marry using online dating sites. Practice basic safety tips as you get to know the target of your potential affection, and use your best judgment to avoid scams.