Online Safety Tips

Online Safety Tips

Protect your finances
Ignore any request to send money, especially overseas or by wire transfer, and report it to us immediately – even if the person claims to be in an emergency. Wiring money is like sending cash: the sender has no protections against loss and it's nearly impossible to reverse the transaction or trace the money. 

Never give financial information (such as you social security number, credit card number or bank information) to people you don't know or you haven't met in person.  

Guard your personal and online access information
Be careful about sharing other personal information, such as your full name, phone number, email and address. You are in control of your online dating experience at all times – remain anonymous until you feel ready. Take advantage of our member-to-member technology that protects your identity until you decide to reveal it through email or IM. Also, leave any personal contact information out of your profile or username.

Use extra caution when accessing your account from a public or shared computer so that others are not able to view or record your password or other personal information. If you share your computer with others, disable the auto sign-in feature to your account and clear all saved passwords.

Note: Match.com will never send you an email asking for your username and password information. Any such communication should be reported immediately.

Be Web Wise
Be wary of communications that ask you to act immediately, offer something that sounds too good to be true, or asks for personal information. There are certain red flags to watch for that may indicate you're dealing with a scammer. Be aware of anyone who…

• Quickly asks to talk or chat on an outside email or messaging service
• Claims to be from U.S. but currently travelling, living or working abroad
• Asks you for money
• Vanishes mysteriously from the site, then reappears under a different name
• Talks about "destiny" or "fate"
• Claims to be recently widowed
• Asks for your address under the guise of sending flowers or gifts
• Makes an inordinate amount of grammar and/or spelling errors
• Sends you emails containing strange links to third-party websites

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission's advice to avoid online romance scams is available here: http://onguardonline.gov/articles/0004-online-dating-scams

Be cautious and use common sense. If personal details provided by another person don't seem to add up, they behave suspiciously or pressure you for personal or financial information – block communications with that person and report them to us immediately.

Block and report suspicious users
You can block and report concerns about any suspicious user anonymously from any profile page, email or IM window.

Additionally, please report anyone who violates our terms of use. Examples of terms of use violations include:

• Asking you for money or donations
• Married people or minors using the service
• Members sending harassing or offensive emails/IMs
• Members behaving inappropriately after meeting in person
• Fraudulent registration or profiles
• Spam or solicitation, such as invitations to call 1-900 numbers or attempts to sell products or services

Your involvement will help keep the community fun and enjoyable.