Vancouver Police have launched a campaign aimed at improving the safety of anyone seeking a relationship through online dating.
It includes information on how to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of assault or fraud.
Det. Const. Michelle Grandbois says horror stories of dates gone wrong are increasingly common as the popularity of online dating grows, and police believe the majority of victims never come forward.
She is urging victims to speak to police so they can access resources and also help prevent others from being targeted by the same predators.
Grandbois says victims who have come forward include a 46-year-old woman who woke up after a first date without her clothes and no recollection of the night before, and a 28-year-old woman who was sexually assaulted after she invited a man for tea.
The campaign lists tips for people dating online such as revealing as little information as possible before a date or using a photo that has never been posted online, to cut the chance of being traced through a Google image search.
Grandbois says those dating online should be very cautious.
"He may sound like your soul mate, but he is still a stranger," she says in a news release.
Police say if people take control of their online safety, they reduce the chance of meeting someone who turns out to be very different than the profile they posted on social media.
