Dangers of Online Dating and Scams | Video

Sarahbeth Ackerman | 10/17/2012

Online dating has become a popular way to meet new people and maybe lead to a new relationship. However, it`s also become a tool for online predators.

Before going online, you should do your homework.

"You just need to do your research. Find a reputable site that has good reviews that you`ve researched and those types of sites are going to have their own types of security measure," said Sergeant Jason Sundbakken.

In addition to educating yourself on the online dating sites or any other social networks, Minot police suggest you find out who you are really talking to.

"A lot of internet predators kinda troll these places looking for gullible, naive, trustworthy people that they can prey on. And that`s kind of how they tend to find their victims a lot of times," said Sundbakken.

Sundbakken says online predators tend to lure their victims in by having similar information that closely matches your online profile. He suggests to limit what you post.

Another thing that is popping up is internet scams.

"If they can research and find that account, they certainly will be able to find out the rest of them. So if you have different information, it`s better," said Sundbakken.

Internet predators look for similar usernames that match your personal information, so Sundbakken suggests switching your passwords and usernames frequently. That way, the predators won`t be able to stalk you on another social media site.

The Minot Police Department says if you are a victim of any online crime, please contact them immediately.

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