Making friends online is a popular and enjoyable activity, particularly as the internet enables users from any country to interact in a way which would not normally be possible. This article recognises the value of such an activity whilst providing some important advice for minimising your chances of being an online victim.

Staying Safe Online

Before you even think about passing on personal information to any social networking or money making sites here are a few security tips that you should actively consider, they won't protect you completely but may reduce your risk:

1. Consider setting up an separate bank account for managing online earnings and payments or creating a paypal account, (www.paypal.com). This ensures that in the unlikely event that you are the victim of an online scam your primary bank account which your wages and savings go into remains safe.

2. Before you even consider joining the site check to see if they have a online security statement avoid sites that have no information concerning how they will manage your personal data.

3. Avoid creating a user name based on your name for example joebloggs123 and opt out of options to display the city that you live in. This is because you may be more vulnerable to identity fraud, particularly if a fraudster has you name (from your user name) and the city you live in , it's very easy to check the electoral register for your address and use this information to steal your identity.

4. Never pass on personal information about yourself to another user no matter how sincere they might be as you simply don't know whether that person is who they claim to be.

5. Be careful about the types of pictures you post on any social networking forums. Whilst you might think you are showing off your good looks and having fun it is easy for other users to become fixated, I'm not saying don't post pictures of yourself, but just be careful. Try to stick to neutral pictures like, your garden, your pets, places you've visited whilst on holiday.

6. If you use a Wireless connection to access the internet ensure that your network (via your router) is secure. This is easy to do as all routers now come with encryption software that enable you set password protection so that no one else with a wireless connection can access your network. If you are unsure, contact the manufacturer of the router and ask for advice on how to set up the security element to the network. An unsecured network is as good as giving a criminal your bank details, as they can access your personal files and even use software to record the keystrokes you make revealing sensitive data such as passwords.

Face to Face Meetings

Remember that not all people using online sites are who they say they are. Some people use the internet to create the perfect image of who they would like to be and their real life persona can differ wildly from their online profile. I would urge extreme caution about meeting people face to face but having said this the internet has become an increasingly popular place to meet people and I know of friends who have started relationships after meeting people online. So if you are intent upon a face to face meeting with someone you met online please take some simple precautions:

a) Meet in a public place, where there are lots of people around, like a coffee shop or shopping mall. This way if you have any concerns about the person there are lots of people around to be able to seek help from.

b) Inform someone you trust what you intend to do and give them details of the person and where you intend to meet them. Also give tell them the site or chat room you met the person on and give them the user name details of the person you are meeting. Should anything happen the police can easily discover the identity of the individual concerned and it could save your life. Ideally ask someone to come with you and perhaps observe from close by. Alternatively arrange to call your friend /family member by a set time, ideally within 30 minutes of the meeting, and agree that if you haven't called that they will ring you. If no contact is made within that time contact should be made with the police.

c) Even in a first face to face meeting never reveal further personal information such as your address or home phone number. If you must supply a contact number on first meeting give them your mobile/cell phone number. This way if you decide not to pursue the friendship in the future or have any concerns you can always change your number.

Above all never think "It won't happen to me" By taking some simple precautions you can ensure it doesn't but being lazy or complacent could cost you your life.

visit http://www.friendsandmoney.co.uk/page2safety.html for more safety advice

About the Author

I also run my own website http://www.friendsandmoney.co.uk which provides a collection of informative resources to help visitors make friends and earn money online. I also maintain two personal blogs http://financialplanningtips4u.blogspot.com/ and http://successfuljobsearch.blogspot.com/, feel free to contact me via any of these links.