On-line Dating Security Tips for Valentine’s Day (1)

While there are many respectable and reliable e-dating services, singletons should be extremely careful when choosing the Web site through which they will plead their hearts' story. Ideally, before subscribing to such a service, users should scrutinize for testimonials and Web site reviews, both on the Internet and in the printed media. Also, the advice of a trustworthy person or of someone who has already used the service could help them when making a decision. Under no circumstance one should anyone subscribe to a dating service discovered via spam e-mails as this is one sure way to becoming the victim of ID theft or receiving even more spam.

"Surfing the Web in the search of the perfect match for Valentine's Day can be a relaxing and enjoyable experience, but it could also turn into a nightmare due to cybercriminals looking to intercept Cupid's electronic arrows." said Alexandru Catalin Cosoi, Senior AntiSpam and AntiPhishing Researcher.

On-line daters should also read with a great deal of attention the privacy policy of the Web site they choose. They should look for the kind of data the service collects about its users and if the personal profile will be disclosed to third parties or employed for other purposes, namely advertising or listing in different directories. Ideally, the Web site should explicitly state that it protects anonymity and that no private information would be revealed unless the users choose to do so.

Users should provide as little personal details as possible and employ nicknames or aliases as user names, instead of their real names. If possible, they should create and use an alternative e-mail account, instead of the current personal or job's account, to protect their identity, as well as to avoid spam and malware.

When subscribing, but also when posting messages on-line love birds should avoid revealing sensitive private data, namely their home or work address, phone number, Social Security Number, etc.

"Even the most trivial information (mother's maiden name, pet's name and so on) can be exploited by criminals. Some of these details serve as password recovery hints for e-mail addresses or on-line banking accounst. We strongly recommend on-line daters to never share financial data, such as bank accounts, credit card numbers, PINs" added Alexandru Catalin Cosoi, Senior AntiSpam and AntiPhishing Researcher.

Users should also watch out and never respond to requests or click links from people claiming to represent charity causes or advertising goods and services - many e-criminals employ on-line dating sites to trick users into giving them money or downloading camouflaged malware.

Last but not least, if users feel uncomfortable or threatened by someone's e-behavior, they should stop any interaction with that person and report the abuse.