Local experts offer safety tips for online daters
JACKSON, Tenn. — Experts say this will be one of the biggest years for online dating. Jennie Haywood said she met her perfect match online. They now are married with two children. Even though their love story is working out, she said she was careful about their first date. “I was kind of thinking ahead and wondering about who he was and if this place we were meeting was OK, and I was trying to have phone contact enough with him before we met for the first time,” Haywood said. Haywood is a therapist at Lifeworks Behavioral Health. She said meeting someone online for the first time is nerve wracking but that proper research will protect you. The National Crime Prevention Council provides tips to protect yourself when you meet someone for the first time, such as using a disposable email, keeping personal information private and using websites such as AlertID to find a safe meet-up location. “Never give them your address,” Lt. Mike Johnson said. “I know some think the gentleman thing to do is to pick them up and come to the front door, but if you’re meeting them for the first time, you are better meeting them somewhere instead of giving them your address.” Haywood said looking for love online is one of the best decisions she has ever made.
