Most match-making websites, including Match.com and eHarmony, offer subscribers basic tips to ensure that online dating is as safe as possible.

It's important to follow some common-sense rules, including the following:Use anonymouscontact toolsMost websites allow you to contact fellow subscribers without sharing your email or phone number.Use these tools, and don't offer personal information like a home or cell phone number until you're more comfortable with an individual and feel ready to take that next step.Chatting online can be a great way to screen potential dates with relatively low risk.Trust your gutIt's not difficult to set up a fake profile with another person's photo and information. If something doesn't seem right while you're speaking with a potential date, stop talking and do not exchange more information.Perhaps more importantly, never send money to someone who you've met online.If you wouldn't offer $500 to a stranger you just met in the grocery store, don't agree to wire money to your new online friend who claims to desperately need money for rent or medical bills.Meet in a public placeYour first date should take place in a public place. This isn't a time for romantic privacy you'll want others around in case you feel uncomfortable or need help.Don't choose a secluded "public" place, either. Instead of agreeing to meet at the canal for a walk, ask to meet for coffee at a local diner.Always tell at least one friend where you will be and when you plan to return.