Trust your intuition, but check the facts

Met someone interesting online? Great! But before you get euphoric, turn on cold calculation.

1. First meeting? Public only

Cafe, restaurant, mall. Never at his place or yours. And always tell a friend where you are going. Set up a safety phrase (e.g., “Buy me milk”) to text if you feel uncomfortable.

2. Never send money

Never. Under no circumstances. If your “prince charming” suddenly needs a loan for a sick cat’s surgery, it’s 99% a scam (pig butchering scam).

3. Google is your friend

Type his name, surname, company. Check LinkedIn. If he doesn’t exist online – that’s a red flag.