Indonesian dating sites are very useful tools to use when seeking a future partner, but you have to make sure that you are not putting yourself at risk when using them.  Safe online dating in Jakarta involves taking certain safeguards to make sure that you do not get into trouble when meeting a stranger for the first time or even after a few promising dates.

So, what can you do to make best use of Indonesian dating sites, particularly Jakarta dating sites, and stay safe while doing so?  Here are some tips that apply not only to Asian sites but that apply to all online contact websites the world over, including chat rooms and social network sites where one person can contact another privately without the rest of the online community becoming involved enough to protect each other.

1. Never talk alone online to anybody withholding their photograph or other details.  That 18 year-old could equally be 48 or 58, and that young girl could be a predatory woman of 50. Their objectives are not the same as yours, and they will either provide a false photograph or none at all - they might keep their photo blank or use an avatar. If they cannot provide their photograph then refuse to even chat with them - they are not what they say they are.

2.  If you feel uneasy chatting with somebody on any Indonesian dating site, then stop doing so and find somebody with whom you feel more comfortable. There are many Jakarta dating websites that vet their members before allowing them to contact you.

3.  If anybody mentions sex at all, for any reason, then they obviously have that on their mind. No honorable person mentions topics such as that early on in an online relationship without it being their ultimate objective. Cut them off and seek another contact.

3.  Beware of anybody on any Jakarta dating site that always says they have the same views as you.  If you mention a band and they say they also like it, if you do a sport and they do the same, and if you mention your favorite food and they agree, then be very careful.  They could be setting you up for a date with something different to you in mind - it is very unusual for two people to have exactly the same likes and interests, and while it can happen you should be very suspicious.

4.  Never give any personal details to anybody you meet on any Indonesian dating site, particularly those that could help them to identify you.  Don't name your school or college; never give your home address, place of work or favorite bar or club. If you have provided a photograph, they can identify you when they visit these places and then secretly follow you home.  Now they know where you live and can stalk you if they wish to.

5.  Do not provide too much information in your Profile if asked for one. If you have a website don't tell them:  they can get your details from 'Whois.com'. Same with your email address - don't give it out. They can email you as somebody else making you a good offer and asking for a contact phone number.  Once they have that they can get your address. The same applies if anybody asks you online if you have a website, or for any of the above details.

6.  Check them out with a friend.  If you have been chatting to somebody you feel you like, their photograph looks OK, and they appear to have roughly the same interests as you (but not agree with everything you say), then it might be OK to meet.  It has to happen sometime with somebody.  Arrange to meet in a busy place and have a friend with you:  check him or her out from a distance first, and if they look nothing like their photograph then leave immediately. Don't let yourself be known, or they might follow you home.

7.  Only when you have their address, and are sure it is correct, are sure that they are not married and feel comfortable with them, should you agree to an unchaperoned date in a place where you cannot easily get away if you want to. People will be less liable to attack you if they know you have their address, and you have told them you have passed it to your friends or family. Remember, somebody that truly likes you for who you are won't mind you having a friend with you when you first meet, and your friend might see things you are blind to.

Indonesian dating sites, including Jakarta dating websites, are no different to any other and most people have a great experience with them.  Many find lifetime partners, but a few also come to grief. You can't hide from the fact that some girls are attacked, and some lose their lives through online dating sites. However, if you take the above advice, and your Indonesian dating site is a responsible one, then you should be able to use it properly and be like the vast majority that find the life partner of their dreams.

Zub Hudsson - http://jakarta-dating.com