Stay Safe Online
ShubhamMangalam.com aims to provide a safe and secure environment in which you search for and find your life partner. We also have strict abuse-prevention and reporting systems for those who get through our screening. However, in ensuring your safety and privacy we are limited to actions within our control, so it is necessary for you to take some simple precautions.
Here are some simple guidelines YOU can follow to protect your privacy.
[1]. Guard your anonymity:
Our system of anonymous contacting (sending invitations to connect, accepting/declining) ensures your identity is protected until YOU decide to reveal it.
A. Do
Remember that you are in control of your online experience at all times. You can decide your privacy by setting it as per your preference.
B. Don’t
Don’t include personal contact information like name, email address, home address, telephone numbers, place of work, or any other identifying information in your initial messages.
Don’t send contact information until your instincts tell you that this is someone you can trust.
[2]. Start slow - Use emails initially:
Set up a separate email account for communicating. Trust your instincts and start by sharing only your email address and communicating solely via email.
A. Do
Look for odd behaviour or inconsistencies. Serious people will respect your space and allow you to take your time.
Ask a friend to read the emails you receive — an unbiased observer can spot warning signs you missed.
Stop communicating with anyone who pressures you for personal information or tries to trick you into revealing it.
B. Don’t
Don’t use signature lines in your emails that include your phone numbers and addresses.
Don’t use your regular or official email ID to communicate with a person you don’t know well.
[3]. Request for a photo:
A photo gives you a good idea of the person’s appearance, which can help your gut feeling.
A. Do
Request a photo. It is best to view several images of someone in various settings: casual, formal, indoor and outdoor.
If all you hear are excuses about why you can’t see a photo, consider that he or she may have something to hide.
[4]. Chat on the phone:
A phone call can reveal much about a person’s communication and social skills. Consider your security and do not reveal your personal phone number to a stranger.
A. Do
Use a prepaid mobile number. Share your number only when you feel completely comfortable and have some background on the other person.
If someone gives you a number with a strange area code, check that it is not a premium-charge number before calling.
[5]. Meet when YOU are ready:
The beauty of meeting online is that you can collect information gradually and later choose whether to pursue the relationship offline. You are never obligated to meet anyone. Go at your own pace!
A. Do
Remember that you are in control when it comes to taking an online relationship offline.
Even if you arrange a meeting, you always have the right to change your mind. Trust yourself and go with your instincts.
[6]. Meet in a safe place:
When you choose to meet offline, it is a good idea to include either or both of your families. If you trust the person enough to meet alone, always tell a friend or family member where you are going and when you will return.
A. Do
Choose a public place (such as a restaurant or café) at a time when many people are around, and arrange your own transport both ways.
For the first meeting it is best not to meet alone. Take a friend or relative along and ask the other person to do the same.
If you do meet alone, leave the person’s name, address and phone number with a friend or family member, and carry a mobile phone.
B. Don’t
Never arrange for your prospective match to pick you up or drop you home.
Do not go to a secluded place, or to a movie alone, on the first meeting.
[7]. Watch for warning signs:
A. Do
Ask a lot of questions and watch for inconsistencies. This helps you detect liars and cons, and find out whether you are compatible.
Pay attention to anger, intense frustration, or attempts to pressure or control you. Resentful behaviour, demeaning or disrespectful comments, or any physically inappropriate behaviour are all warning signs.
Involve your family or close friends in your search for a life partner and do not decide unilaterally.
B. Don’t
Don’t ignore, especially without an acceptable explanation: inconsistent information about age, interests, appearance, marital status, profession or employment.
Don’t ignore someone who fails to answer direct questions directly.
Don’t ignore someone who appears significantly different in person from their online persona.
Don’t ignore someone who never introduces you to friends, professional associates or family members.
[8]. Beware of money scams:
There are many con artists and scam artists around, and they are everywhere. A genuine person will not ask you for money in any circumstance.
A. Do
Be wary of anyone who asks you for money for any reason — it is safest to cut off communication. Use common sense and never give in to such requests.
If someone asks you for money, report it to us.
Take all the time you need to decide on a trustworthy person and pay careful attention along the way.
B. Don’t
Don’t fall for the oldest con trick: people who shower love and affection at once and disappear later.
Don’t become prematurely close to someone, even if that closeness only happens online. Your own good judgment is your best bet.
[9]. Steps to register a complaint:
- Go to the concerned profile and report misuse against the profile.
- The complaint will be acted upon by our Safety Desk.
- An email will be sent to your registered email address about receipt of the complaint and the action taken.
- For any escalation, use your Ticket ID and write to our grievance officer at grievance@shubhammangalam.com
ShubhamMangalam.com will endeavour to provide all possible assistance to the Police (Cyber Crime Investigation Cell) or any other statutory investigation agency to tackle fraudulent users, when specifically instructed by the said authorities.
[10]. Grievance redressal:
In case of any concern regarding a possible misuse, or to report fraud, follow the steps above and write to us giving full details of your case.