Online dating has many pitfalls. Here are some important principles and practices for staying safe and avoiding trouble.

Never share financial or private information

• Never give out your credit card number or bank account information.
• Never share your Social Security Number, mother’s maiden name, the first place you visited, or other such private information, including your address, that can be used to uniquely identify you and potentially access your financial information.
• Never send money or goods to anyone.
• Dominion Dating will not call you about your account unless you have already called or emailed us.
• Dominion Dating will never ask for full financial details over the phone, including your full credit card number. You may be asked for the last 4 digits of your payment method, to verify that you are the owner of the account.
• Dominion Dating will never charge you for performing customer support/administration operations.

If a user tries to pressure you for this sort of information, or any other private/sensitive information, stop communicating with them immediately and report the incident to us using your dashboard, or by emailing help@dominiondating.com. Your report will go straight to our administrative team.

Use your best judgment

Always trust your judgment when you’re on Dominion Dating. If you feel a user has bad intentions, it’s better to be safe and pause communication. Here’s a list of common red flags when you’re getting to know someone new:

• Claims to be from the US but is currently living, working or traveling abroad.
• Claims they are experiencing an emergency situation that requires your assistance, in either goods (eg, computers or gift cards) or money.
• Disappears suddenly from the site then reappears under a different name.
• Wants the relationship to progress faster than you are comfortable with.
• Writes poorly written messages that escalate quickly from introduction to a deeper connection.
• Asks inappropriate questions.
• Tells inconsistent or exaggerated stories.
• Gives vague answers to specific questions.
• Urges you to compromise your principles.
• Constantly blames others for troubles in his or her life.
• Insists on getting overly close, very fast.
• Claims to be recently widowed.

Protect your account in public

When accessing your account from a public or shared computer, be aware of your surroundings so that others are not able to view or record your password or other personal information.

Keep your personal information safe

• Never include your last name, email address, home address, telephone number, place of work or any other identifying information in your profile or messages during early communication.
• Remember that once you’ve given out personal information, there’s no taking it back.

Do your research

• We encourage you to do your own research before meeting a user in person. This can include:
  • Typing their name into a search engine.
  • Searching social media profiles, etc.
• Pay attention to the details other users share with you. If something doesn’t feel right, trust your judgment and stop communicating with them.

Be careful of URL links in emails

• If you receive a message with a link (most commonly asking you to view photos), please know that Dominion Dating does not store photos anywhere except on a user’s profile, so any such links are not to our own platform.
• Use good judgment and be cautious when deciding to click on any links. In particular, be aware of links that lead to web pages which look similar or identical to the Dominion Dating homepage, including its log-in fields. These links are typically sent as attempts to “phish” for log-in information in order to compromise user accounts.
• Report any phishing scams by reporting the user through your dashboard.
• Remember that Dominion Dating will never ask you to download additional apps or programs.

Meeting for the first time

Meeting in person is exciting. These tips can help you feel comfortable when you meet a user in person:

• Tell at least one friend or family member about your plans, and when you expect to return. Arrange to check in with them after each of the first few dates.
• For your first few dates, meet in a public place. If your date pressures you to meet at their house or at an isolated place, cancel the date.
• Be aware of your date’s behavior before, during and/or after meeting.
• Make sure your personal items and drinks are always kept within your view.
• When it comes to alcohol consumption, don’t let your date pressure you to do something you’re not comfortable with. Know your limits and be confident in your decisions. It may be wise to avoid alcohol during a first or second meeting, as it can compromise your judgment.
• Be clear about your boundaries, and respectful of theirs.
  • If your date does anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, you have the right to tell them, or to excuse yourself from the date.
  • Consider setting an end time for the date.
  • Verbal and nonverbal communication can be used to communicate boundaries.
• Have your transportation figured out beforehand.
  • If you’re relying on someone else for transportation, have a backup plan just in case your arrangements fall through.
  • Consider using your own transportation, so you can leave when you want to.
  • Never agree to be picked up at your home, or rely on someone you don’t know for transportation.
• Carry a fully charged mobile phone with easily accessible emergency numbers

User termination notification

If Dominion Dating removes a user for suspicious activity, inappropriate behavior or falsified information, you may be notified via email to stop communicating with them. We strongly encourage all of our members to check emails received from Dominion Dating, to ensure this communication is received promptly.

Keep it positive

Not everyone you meet is going to be right for you, so closing communication, and having others close communication with you, is a natural and healthy part of the process. It can be hard to be rejected or close off communication with someone, but if you do, please be honest, direct and polite.

External resources

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: call 988
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: call 1–800–799–SAFE (7233)
• National Sexual Violence Resource Center: call 1–877–739–3895
• National Human Trafficking Hotline: call 1–888–272–7888 or text 233733
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center