Online Dating Doesn't Have To Be Dangerous

Love is in the air, it's that time of year.  More and more people looking for a relationship are looking online. Online dating can be dangerous, but it doesn't have to be.  The News On 6's Rick Wells reports happily ever after can happen online.

Michael and Linda Palmer have been married for six years. They met with The News On 6 to talk about their relationship which all started online.

"We met in '99, and got married in 2001," said Linda Palmer.

Both were looking for someone with similar interests to talk to, they just found someone with similar interests who lived thousands of miles away.

"I know more about him than I know about some of my family members," said Linda Palmer.

They chatted online every day, sometimes for hours.  After a year they decided it was time to meet.

"In 2000 I went to England, after I called his work, his church and checked up on him," said Linda Palmer.

She was cautious, which Dr. John Hale of TU says most people who find trouble online aren't.

"Relationships online can develop faster than they would, because you don't have the nuances of facial expressions and things that tend to slow you down," said Dr. Hale.

If you use an online dating service, there is certain private information you must provide so they can create a profile for an online match.

"You want to understand how your private information is being used," said Dr. Hale.

Reputable services have privacy and information security policies, but he says there's no substitute for our own instincts.

"You have to go with your gut, you have to use common sense and be cautious," said Dr. Hale.

Common sense and caution could lead to something really special.

"For us it's been a match made in heaven," said Michael Palmer.

Michael and Linda Palmer were planning to marry in mid-September of 2001.

He was waiting for his plane in London on September 11th and all flights were canceled.  It took ten days to get another flight and they were married on the 29th.