Safety Tips
While meeting new friends online can be an extremely rewarding experience, there are a few important points to remember while communicating with someone you have never met in person. The following list of safety tips was designed to give you an overview of some of the problems inherent to online communication and advice on how to avoid them.
Rule #1: Trust your instincts
The best way to avoid potential problems online is to trust your instincts. If you suspect someone is lying or attempting to con you, there is a good chance that they are. Always trust your first impression; it is your best defense against online (and offline) fraud.
Rule #2: Do not use this web site if you are under 18 years old
There are many reasons why you should not use this or any other social web site if you are under 18 years of age. The most important reason being safety. Many internet criminals prey upon children under the age of 18. While we take every precaution to ensure our members' safety, no web site is 100% safe and secure. That is why we have made it our ongoing policy to refuse all applicants under the age of 18. (See our Terms of Service agreement for more details.)
Rule #3: Safeguard your personal information
Never give your personal information to anyone you just met online. By "personal information", we mean your full legal name, home address, home telephone number, cell phone number and/or place of work. A sincere friend or acquaintance will wait as long as necessary to receive this information; an insincere acquaintance will not. You should only give your personal information to those WorldNation.net members you absolutely trust.
Rule #4: Do not send money to anyone you meet online
A common scam among internet criminals is to request help paying for "expensive internet charges" or "excessive internet cafe fees." While it is indeed true that many countries in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and South America do not yet have internet service readily available in all cities and towns, a genuine friend from one of these countries will be more than happy to pay their own internet charges. Never, under any circumstances, should you send money to a stranger from another country (or within your own country for that matter) who claims monetary assistance is required to continue their correspondence with you.
Rule #5: Be wary of members who refuse to give you a photograph
Sometimes a good photo is hard to find. Other times a good photo is on hand, but impossible to scan. While there are many legitimate reasons why a member may not have a photo posted with his or her profile, there are very few legitimate reasons why someone would refuse to give you a photo indefinitely. If, after several weeks of communicating, you find that the person on the other end of the connection is unwilling to share a photograph (or is only willing to share one or two low quality photos), you might consider the possibility that that person is lying about his or her true identity. Politely ask for a new photograph one last time, and if none is offered, consider discontinuing the correspondence.
Rule #6: Only meet a new friend/acquaintance in a public place
After a sufficient period of time communicating online, you may feel comfortable meeting your new friend or business acquaintance in person. If so, arrange to meet them in a crowded place during daylight hours. If you absolutely must meet at night, meet in a well-lit public location. Restaurants, theaters, malls, and other populated areas are all good meeting places. Under no circumstances should you agree to meet someone you don't yet know in person at their home, apartment or hotel room. If it is at all feasible, bring along a friend.
Remember, use your common sense
A healthy dose of caution is the best guarantor of your safety online and off.
Summary
Following is a brief summary of the safety tips outlined on this page:
Rule #1: Trust your instincts
Rule #2: Do not use this web site if you are under 18 years old
Rule #3: Safeguard your personal information
Rule #4: Do not send money to anyone you meet online
Rule #5: Be wary of members who refuse to give you a photograph
Rule #6: Only meet a new friend/acquaintance in a public place
While this list is by no means exhaustive, it is a good starting point for anyone interested in making friends online. We wish you the best of luck in your search for new friends, and welcome any comments or suggestions you might have about the safety of our web site.
If you suspect a current member of our web site is deceiving others, or may be engaged in fraudulent online activity, please contact us immediately. We investigate all reports of misconduct and take appropriate action against offending members.
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