Fool me once, shame on you! Well, for many of us, once is all we’re willing to be fooled. When it comes to relationships, millions of people end up finding out that their partner isn’t who they thought. Unfortunately, you put your trust into someone only to find out they’re cheaters, beaters, repeaters, or even worse scenarios where the fooled party doesn’t live to tell the story. If you’ve already been bitten, then it’s obvious you’re going to be twice as shy. An online dating site is probably the last thing you would ever think of doing if you’re iffy about meeting new people in the first place.

However, a lot of these dating sites are safer than you think. But if you’re still having second thoughts about it all, here are a few tips you can use to make sure you’re not conversing with a bad person on the other end of that computer:

1. The first thing you should do, before you even create a profile on a dating site (especially for women), is to go around and read a few articles written by victims who met the wrong kind of partner via an online dating site. Don’t use these stories for a deterrent, however. You only want to pick up some of the tell tale signs from people who are experienced and have gone through the motions. By knowing what they went through before their horrendous meetings, you can know exactly what to avoid. If your potential partner starts to display of the “warning” signs, you know to hightail it out of there.

2. This next tip has to do with patience. Not every potential partner is going to put their entire life on display within the first few weeks. Remember to never become entranced with anyone. You always want to keep one ear to the ground and listen for trouble. However, you don’t want to assume there’s going to be any. Approaching dating with that sort of attitude will ensure that you’re a single person for a long time. A good way you can run a “check” as you go is to unfold their life. If they have a MySpace or Facebook site, get to know their friends. Ask what type of person they are. Speak to your potential partner on the phone and get a gauge of their emotions.

3. This next little tidbit of advice will test your mettle. It is up to you to enquire about your partner’s past. Never pretend that it doesn’t matter to you. Because, let’s face it, sometimes nothing matters more than your partner’s past. If you’re a woman, you definitely don’t want to get involved with a spousal abusing felon. Guys, you don’t want to put your heart out there for a habitual cheater. Obviously, if the person has something to hide, they’re going to avoid talking about their past. But you can’t hide things without appearing awkward and standoffish. By knowing how the person carries his or herself “normally,” you will know if they’re acting a bit weird.

You can use these tips here or search for more of your own. If you’ve been the victim of a horrible relationship in the past, you probably already have a few tips and tricks up your sleeve to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. We all know it: It’s easy to see everything in hindsight. What we’re after is a glimpse into the relationship to come with foresight. Is a background necessary? Well, you’ll have to be the judge of that. It’s good to trust love, but trusting a person is a different story entirely.  Back