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Online dating and socialising can be great fun and we hope you meet your ideal partner using one of our sites.
We want you to be safe and have help to fully enjoy all of the site features so we have some information to help you do that.
Safe Dating Tips - our top tips to make your online dating safer
Preventing Scammers - a guide to what scams are out there and what we, and you, can do to reduce the risks of it happening
1. DATING SAFETY TIPS
We hope to make online dating enjoyable for all our members and make every effort to provide a high level of privacy and security on our website. Like all online communities there are people who seek to take advantage of other users through scamming, or not being who they really claim to be and we urge all users to exercise caution.
For instance, some users join the site but aren't looking for dating. Instead they may use your personal details to send unwanted advertisements or ask for money (which is known as a scam). To prevent yourself from undesirable contacts we have compiled a list of tips below to help you be on the safe side.
As stated in our terms and conditions of use, we do not conduct background checks of any nature, nor do we conduct criminal checks on any user so you must be responsible for your own use of the site, safely.
Always Trust Your Instincts
If at any point you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, stop communicating with the user for your own safety and protection.
Watch out for anyone who seems too good to be true.
When communicating with members through our dating sites look out for odd behaviour or inconsistencies in their profile or conversation or actions. The person at the other end may not be who or what he or she says they are.
If in doubt – report the individual to us and we will investigate the matter.
Don't Provide Personal Information
Never give out your full name, home address, telephone number or any other sensitive personal information that you do not want other people to know.
Even with just your home phone number, a person can easily gain access to your income information, home address, and even learn the value of your home.
Our website works using an anonymous email and chat system where none of your online personal information is made available to other members. Make sure you send and receive emails via our onsite email system.
Be cautious of scammers
Never let your guard down. Some people take advantage of others by befriending people and trying to scam them.
These scams range from illegal advertisements, to redirection to other websites where you have to pay, to asking for credit card details or money.
Be cautious of members whose profiles state they are from one country but the person tells you they are from another.
Most commonly, the female scammer will describe herself as "god fearing, real, honest, sincere, loving, genuine". If you believe the person contacting you fits the descriptions listed above and looks too good to be true, ignore them and DO report them to us straight away using our scammer reporting option.
Make sure you know how to save copies of your online dating conversations as these can be used to prove someone has been breaching the rules of our site and we can remove them if they do.
Use the "SEE ME, HEAR ME, MEET ME" technology
We have audio and video dating technologies that can take your interaction with other members to a new level, if you want to use these services.
By using video and audio to communicate through our site tools, you can see/hear the person on the other end of the line, while maintaining your anonymity.
You can use our online phone features to have conversations with users without giving out your own phone number.
You should still be wary that a user might not be who they appear to be and should only communicate with people you trust.
Meeting other users
Our sites do their best to provide a safe dating environment for you and your online relationships.
If you choose to meet up, or talk to someone out with the safety of our site you should be very careful.
You can reduce your risk if you meet your dates in a busy, well-lit public place.
Arrange the meeting with a person you know well, never meet a stranger.
You may also want to meet up with a friend or someone you trust with you.
Let someone know where you are going, how you are getting there, when you are expected to arrive and when you are expected home. Tell them where you are at regular intervals on your date.
Never arrange for your date to pick you up at home.
Always carry a mobile phone if you have one.
If you feel uncomfortable you should remove yourself from the situation.
Enjoy dating and have fun!
Please don't let this put you off. We hope you will find the man or woman of your dreams, but we want to be sure that the steps you take to do so are safe ones.
2. WHAT WE ARE DOING ABOUT SCAMMERS
We take our commitment to providing a safe online dating environment very seriously and are continuing to develop new ways to protect our users from the threat of scammers. You should exercise caution and hopefully this information will provide you with advice on scammers to help you stay safe online.
What is a scammer?
When we say a “scammer” we mean someone, or a group of people, or a competitor company, that is acting deceptively on our site and is not genuinely interested in dating.
Types of scammers
Scammers become clever in new ways, but equally we are responding to scammers by improving our anti-scam technologies, taking advice from specialists in this area.
If it’s a person they may be trying to get money out of you, or take your identity. For example, a person claims to have been in an accident and needs money for medical bills, or they are a service person on active duty looking for money.
If it’s a business they may be trying to divert you from our site to competitor sites. For example, some girls promote adult web cam sites, and these sites may or may not be real. In any event, we are not affiliated with this activity and we do not promote it. If a communication is promoting a real NSI Holdings Limited service, we will clearly tell you it is from us.
Our approach to scam prevention
We are:
Keeping one step ahead of scammer activity by currently developing new technologies to mitigate risks of scammers.
Detecting the majority of scammer profile accounts before they get the chance to interact with other users, and most others within 24 hours.
Using our own technologies and verification methods to make attempts to verify genuine users.
Responding to user complaints about suspicious profiles;
Working with third party services that use enhanced techniques to monitor activity and assist in scam prevention.
How can I protect myself as a user?
You can reduce the risk of being contacted by a scammer through our messaging system if you ensure that your mail settings are set to receive mail from Trusted Members only. The Trusted Member verification is currently only available for some of our services, so please be aware that the site or app that you are using may not have this feature. We may roll out this Trusted Member verification programme across more sites from in the future.
If someone is marked as being a Trusted Member on their profile, it means that they have asked us to verify their identity.
Members can choose to have us do this by paying a minimal monthly fee for us to verify their payment card details using a third party provider, or members can opt for free verification which uses your mobile phone or a call to the Customer Support.
Clearly, fraudsters can still pretend to be someone else, but if you choose to communicate only with Trusted Members, you can reduce the risk.
In order to help protect our users, this setting (Safe Mode) is contained within your Account Settings. If you turn it on, you will only be able to be contacted by Trusted Members. If you choose to turn it off, be aware that you can then be contacted by all site users. |
