Feel free to add to this list, and it's hardly definitive - or even assurance that they'll keep you safe.

However, I think these little tips have kept me safe. This is for guys AND girls, but i'm sure there are some specific ones.

Webcams

Firstly - don't share your webcam with anyone who doesn't have one. "It's broken" may indeed be a valid excuse, but it's no excuse for you to send it one-way and get nothing back. There's no guarantee who's at the other end - even if you've spoken to them over the phone.

There's so much to be said about webcams, but they're the safest way of checking who you're talking to without actually being face-to-face with 'em!

They're also extremely cheap nowadays, so there's no excuse for anyone not to own one

Pictures

Although it's impossible to tell who's just very pretty and has flattering pics of themselves, and who's just an old man using pics from a porn site in his profile, the only real way of keeping safe when it comes down to "pic sharing" isn't simply a tit-for-tat approach - just because they send you rude pics, doesn't mean you're required to send some back. If you want to share pictures, but don't feel comfortable - use MSN's "profile pic" thing if you use MSN, they can't right click that - and it lets you share as many pics as you want, safely.


MSN - Tools > Options > Change Display Picture.

If in doubt, just don't share. If you've got the eye for it, you'll start to spot professional lighting, wonder how a single person takes such well-framed shots of themselves posing naked without any external help... etc.


Contact

I'm sure we've all given out our numbers at least once on this site, and if you truly, truly trust someone - go for it - but first of all, your home number will give away your location. So don't give that away, instead - mobile. Ideally, have a pay-as-you-go mobile so that if you do get a stalker, just change the sim-card. Obviously, this can work the same for them - but them not answering your calls is hardly going to put you in danger.

Your address should be a closely guarded secret. If someone get's that, and they turn out to be someone you can't trust, moving house isn't quite as easy as changing number.

Added by ScotInCornwall

Don't let them pick you up or take you home on the first couple of dates.

Added by bobhope234

If someone is falsifying a webcam feed, it is as simple as asking them to perform some obscure action on their webcam. If they, after repeated attempts, seem unable to do so it's a pretty certain bet that they're masquerading as someone else.

Feel free to add to this! It's hardly a comprehensive list, but I feel it's easier for me to just do this than "out" people I know who aren't genuine.

When meeting up for a first date, would most people agree it's safest to meet half way, and if you're meeting for love, to never meet in either's home? Just rent a hotel?

Obviously there's safety issues with meeting strangers for love, but this is assuming there's a level of previous-knowledge involved

In our defence, people who look for love aren't all bad people - although it's safe to say there's plenty who are.

Some of us are nice people, looking to meet other nice people for experiences that don't entail relationships.

It's hard to justify it to the majority, but as long as you're honest about your intentions - I can't see how we should all be tarnished with the same brush.

The bad people are the ones who lie.