A new threat has presented itself to the world of online dating. “Sweetheart Scammers” are on the prowl, looking for potential victims on popular internet dating websites.

The FBI has coined the term to describe identity thefts who lure their victims through dating websites and chatrooms. Once they’ve found the right person, they court them with gifts bought with stolen credit cards. Finally, the theft will send his new squeeze a fake money order which will ultimately result in money being drained from rather than deposited into their account. Identity thefts also use personal information found on dating sites to track credit card numbers, social security and social insurance numbers and other important information.

To avoid falling victim to this crime, here are a few preventative measures you can take:
Do not use your real name or personal information when using internet dating websites. Create a separate e-mail account when communicating with contacts you’ve met online.

Do not use your regular or work e-mail address as your username on any dating site. There are even some websites that use “double-blind” e-mail method, that restricts each party access to the other’s real identity.

When you’ve decided to continue communication offline, ensure that you are able to block your caller ID and don’t give out your work or home number. Both of these can be used to track your home address and other types of crucial personal information.

It won’t be long until every single with access to a computer will be an online dater seeking to meet one another. Gone are the days where people were ashamed of meeting another individual online.

Everyone knows that these are the days of the internet. Everything these days is done online. If you are looking for a job chances are you have submitted your resume to a search engine designed to find jobs that match your qualifications. People often go online to order groceries and have them delivered to their home.

If people are doing everything else online than why shouldn’t dating online be at the top of the list? Well the answer to that question seems to follow in line: it is!
So if you were thinking that dating online is out of the norm and you are the only one that is doing it, consider yourself very wrong. Dating online is quite popular everywhere in the world and singles all over the world are giving online romance quite the far shot at love.

Online dating is more popular among those under 50 but even the demographic above that age group is starting to pick up on it and get into the swing of things. While it may take just a little bit longer, everyone is convinced that online dating will be the most popular choice for finding a date in the very near future. So if you have not created a profile yet there is no better time than right now, log on and join the millions of people that are finding love online today.