Although personal ad services can be quite effective, it is an unfortunate reality of our times that one must remain vigilant against predators. Although Goths tend to be "decent people" there will always be a bad apple in the bunch, and more importantly, just because someone says he or she is Gothic does not guarantee he or she really is!

So have fun and meet new people! But also keep in mind a few safety tips to help maintain some peace of mind.

• Never give out your phone number or address to a stranger.

• Use a free, non-traceable e-mail service like Juno, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.

• Always meet in a public place, with a friend if possible, when meeting for the first time.

• Don't assume the person on the other end is being 100% truthful.

• Play it safe and take things slowly.

• Don't lend out large sums of money to people you just started to date.

• When you start to feel uncomfortable, it is time to leave!

Click here for more information on internet safety.