Safety Guide for Internet Dating (Continued)

not do so maliciously; they may just be trying to give a better impression of themselves. (Would you tell someone online every terrible thing you've ever done or that you're 15 pounds overweight? Probably not.) Others lie to protect their privacy. And, sadly, there are those rare few that lie out of deceit.

Someone may tell you blonde when they're really brunette, 25 when they're really 40, single when they're really married, or even female when they're really male. A picture can't always be trusted either; the person may have taken someone else's photo or found one somewhere.

Janet thought she had met the perfect guy, he sent her a picture and they talked for weeks before meeting in person. She was 38 and thought she was going to meet a forty-year-old. He even talked about how weird he felt to be turning 40! He turned out to be 23, just out of college, and was leading her on in a bet with some friends.

"I was devastated, he seemed so perfect, I thought he was just a young-looking forty in his picture, but when I met him, I knew he was much younger."

Janet was so hurt by this encounter that she's since stopped chatting with people online.

Take Your Time

Probably the number one rule with Internet dating is to take thing slowly. After chatting online you may feel like you've known the person forever, creating a false sense of foundation. It is easy to proceed to quickly, with oftentimes heartbreaking consequences.

Tom recalls meeting Debbie in person for the first time after chatting for months. "We had so much in common, both from broken homes, both coming off of bad relationships.

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