Online dating is cool. Online dating is hep. Online dating is easy. And online dating is what keeps the bandwidth busy for any ISP. Yes, all these are facts. Online dating has caught on in India, and how! But a relationship cannot be as easy as the tap-tapping of your keyboard. While online services and websites are great to meet people and make friends, there might be dangers lurking just around the corner.

Forewarned is forearmed is what they say. So make sure that you are clued in before you get all messed up. Here are a few things you need to watch out for and be prepared for:

Wrong Identity: The person who you think you are having an online romance with, might not be that person at all. It is so easy to create a fake identity or use someone elses identity on the net that almost everyone has done it at some point or other. Your friend/partner might be too old, or too young, or married, or he even might be a she!!!

Online Seduction: Dont let anyone pressurize you into anything. You can avoid falling into pressure traps only if you manage to keep your head. Its too easy for us women to become emotionally involved and give in to other demands. Dont let this happen to you.

Its All About Money Honey: Recently a case was highlighted in the papers where a 15 year old girl ran away (with a lot of cash) to meet her online boyfriend. The boyfriend turned out to be anything but a boy. So dont let anyone ask you to bring any money or to run away from your home. Thats plain stupid, gals!!!

Personal Information: When someone is forever asking you for real name, phone number, address etc, just steer clear of this person. How much information you wish to reveal about yourself is your prerogative. Nobody should be pressurizing you for information. And if you have an ounce of gray matter in your head, keep all that information to yourself. Information is sacred in this age of computers and internet. Treat it that way.